


By Your Side

by lovesnarf (snarfette)



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bodyguard, M/M, Stalking, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2018-10-30 17:49:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10881873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarfette/pseuds/lovesnarf
Summary: Robert is a mega-star with a problem. Aaron is hired as his bodyguard. Despite an immediate attraction to one another, they clash as soon as they meet, but they must figure out a way to work together before it's too late.Now with Epilogue.Now with a second epilogue set about a year after the events of the final chapter based on the prompt 'What are you afraid of?' for 7 Days of Robron.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is very loosely based on the concept of the movie ‘The Bodyguard’. 
> 
> Originally I wrote this story for another fandom but I kept imagining Aaron and Robert in these roles. 
> 
> In this universe, Aaron has not suffered childhood sexual abuse and he does not have issues with self-harm.

Robert rolled over onto his side in his bed. He had been disturbed by a noise somewhere outside the house but was only half-awake. If he was lucky, he’d be able to roll over and slip straight back into the dream he had been having.

 

Just as he began to drift away again, a loud smash split the silent night air and Robert’s eyes snapped open. He moved suddenly to sit upright in his bed. Glancing at his digital bedside clock, he saw that it was just past two in the morning. He didn’t know what to do. Should he just stay put or should he go and investigate the noise? He guessed that the smashing sound was glass breaking and seeing as his house was set in its own grounds, the noise had to have come from his own home. For the first time, he noticed that his dog was standing beside the closed bedroom door growling lowly.

 

“Loki, what is it?” he whispered. His voice was gravelly from sleep and he felt almost afraid to clear his throat. As he shuffled towards the edge of the bed, he heard hurried footsteps making their way along the hallway towards his room. His eyes widened as the dog began to growl more loudly and scratch at the bottom of the door. On any other occasion Robert would have told him off but now he just stared at the door tensely. A moment later the door was flung open. The dark bedroom was flooded with light from the hallway and Robert lifted his arm to cover his dazzled eyes.

 

“Rob, you alright?” a familiar and welcome voice called into the room.

The dog had recognised the person in the doorway instantly and had disappeared down the corridor barking excitedly.

“Finn?” Robert said while lowering his hand away from his face as his eyes adjusted to the light. “What’s going on?”

Finn stepped further into the room to speak to him. “Nothing to worry about,” he said calmly. “We just think some kids must have got into the garden and thrown a rock or something at one of the windows. It’s smashed but nothing too serious.”

 

Robert blew a long breath out and rolled his eyes. “Is that all? Just board it up for the night and get the glazer to come by in the morning. Don’t worry about it tonight. Get back to bed.” It seemed like he really wasn’t all that interested in what had happened and was more concerned with getting back to sleep.

 

Finn nodded immediately, “I’ve got Pete fixing it up now. You get your head down, Robert. We’ll take care of everything.”

“Sure,” Robert replied, already yawning as he shuffled back towards his bed.

Finn turned and was about to leave the room when Robert called after him. “Oh Finn, can you go fetch Loki and bring him back up here for me please? I don’t want him walking in any glass.”

“Sure thing,” Finn replied as he pulled the door closed behind him. He made his way back down the hallway to retrieve the escaped pooch.

 

As he walked into the large kitchen, Finn saw his brother, Robert’s security guard, Pete, sweeping up hundreds of shards of glass from the floor. It was a simple job made difficult by the persistent pestering of Robert’s dog.

“Come here, you,” Finn said as he grabbed hold of the dog’s collar. “We wouldn’t want anything happening to you, would we? Robert would fire us if you happened to cut yourself.”

Pete looked up at him and smiled grimly, knowing that it probably wasn’t an exaggeration. “Is he alright?”

Finn nodded as he stroked the dog’s head. “Yeah, he’s fine. He’d heard the noise and I think he was about to come down, but he’s gone back to bed now.”

“What do you want me to do with this?” Pete said as he picked up a large lump of rock with a piece of paper taped to it.

Finn scowled as he looked at it. “I’ll take care of the note. Don’t mention it to Robert. I don’t want him worrying about anything.”

 

Pete nodded in understanding. It was always the same. They never bothered Robert with anything like this. Finn said that actors were too temperamental and likely to freak out about everything. He said that they couldn’t afford for Robert to refuse to work or attract any negative publicity. Pete never argued with what Finn told him to do when it came to Robert. He was just security; Finn was the manager.

 

Robert was one of the film industry’s hottest young actors. He had been steadily becoming more and more famous and more and more popular over the last few years. Now he was a mega-star. He was in demand. Directors and producers wanted him in their movies, magazines wanted him on their front covers, and people wanted to be seen with him. It seemed that everyone wanted a piece of him. Any other person might have gone insane under such pressure and scrutiny, but Robert seemed to thrive on it. He had been in the public eye for years; he was used to it. He enjoyed the life he lived but he had become somewhat hardened to the things that went on around him. He just thought that it had to be that way. He couldn’t afford to be wounded by spiteful rumours that he heard about himself. It was easier to present a tough front than let anyone get too close or see him for who he really was.

 

There was an entourage of people that worked for Robert and followed him around. The closest person to him from that group was his manager, Finn. Finn had won himself the job as Robert’s manager when Robert’s younger sister, Victoria, had recommended him for the role when Robert had just been starting out in the industry. Initially, Robert hadn’t been keen on the suggestion, viewing Finn as Victoria’s somewhat hapless best friend and nothing more, but, over the years, Finn had proved his worth as a manager.

 

And now Robert viewed Finn as his friend as well as his manager. He had been working with Finn for six years and living with him for the last four. At first Finn had suggested that he should live in Robert’s house so that he could be on hand to deal with everything easily as Robert’s career really began to take off. It had been a good idea and Robert had agreed. He liked having Finn around (although he spent a lot of time purposefully winding his manager up) and it meant that he wasn’t quite so lonely. Not that Robert would ever have admitted that he was lonely. How could he be lonely when everyone wanted to be his ‘friend’? Anyway, he had decided that his house was so huge that it seemed ridiculous to have just him rattling around in it. So Finn had moved in and practically had his own wing of the house completely to himself. He’d never left and no-one seemed all that keen to disrupt their current set-up.

 

Robert’s security guard, Pete, had joined the pay-roll when Finn had suggested his brother for the job and he occasionally worked nights. He was always present whenever Robert left his house and had recently found himself keeping a watchful eye over the house during the night a few times a week. That had been Finn’s request. At first, Robert had been a little puzzled about why such a measure was necessary, but Finn had managed to talk him into it and it wasn’t mentioned again. Pete had worked for Robert for the last few years and, despite his seemingly uninterested attitude at times, he was loyal to his employer. He went wherever Robert wanted to go, always close-by to deal with any unwanted attention or any crowds of screaming fans. His gruff manner was usually enough of a deterrent to anybody that tried to get too close. He acted as a human shield to protect Robert, but he wasn’t _trained_ to deal with dangerous situations.  Fortunately, no such incidents had occurred – yet.

 

Once Finn had returned the wriggling dog back to its owner’s bedroom and closed the door quietly behind him, he made his way back to his own room. Robert had told him to get back to bed but he was sure that he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep for a while. He entered his bedroom and walked over to his bed. Leaning down, he slid a black box out from beneath the bed and placed it on top. He pushed the lid off and sighed heavily as he looked at the sheets of paper inside the box. He added the note that had been attached to the rock that had been thrown through the window that evening to the top of the pile. For a moment he just stared at the paper. It was marked in the same way as all the other letters and an involuntary shudder passed through his body. The situation was actually starting to frighten him.

 

Robert had a stalker. Someone who was completely obsessed with him and seemed to be becoming more and more delusional as the weeks went by. Finn had been successful in keeping Robert completely in the dark about everything that was going on. He always managed to explain away strange things that happened. He didn’t want Robert to freak out unnecessarily. The problem was that things were starting to get out of control and starting to get much closer to home.

 

A few weeks ago the stalker had burnt a message for Robert into the grass beneath the balcony of his bedroom. Finn had been quick to laugh it off and make light of it, blaming kids for having a joke, while he secretly panicked about how close the stalker was getting. Now the window had been smashed so that a note could be delivered to Robert. What was going to be next? Was Robert going to wake up one night to find some random freak standing beside his bed watching him? Finn shuddered again. Things couldn’t go on like this anymore. He needed to improve the security of the house and Robert’s safety when he was out and about. Robert had always been against it but Finn knew that there wasn’t much choice. They needed to employ a professional bodyguard.

 

***

As Aaron pulled up to the gates at the end of the driveway, he wondered whether he should turn around now while he still had the chance. He wasn’t quite sure what had actually made him agree to Finn’s request. Maybe it was the fact that he had known Finn for years through his best friend, and Finn’s half-brother, and they had always gotten on. Maybe it was the fact that he had just terminated a contract and was looking for a new job. He didn’t really know. The only thing he did know was that he wasn’t all that keen to be here. He _hated_ actors. They were so far up their own backsides it was unreal. They didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone else so long as they were happy and getting paid millions for doing ‘fuck-all’ as Aaron described it. His usual clients were high-ranking politicians, which wasn’t the most glamorous of jobs, but less irritating than movie ‘stars’ and their demands. He had worked for a few different actresses when he had first started out a few years ago but had never gone back after he had developed an immediate dislike for their attitude.

 

He had spent the last few years developing a reputation as one of the best bodyguards in the country. His work had taken him all over but he never stayed in one position for too long. For Aaron, remaining with one client for too long meant he would get bored. Getting bored meant he would get careless. Getting careless meant that his client would end up hurt or worse dead. That wasn’t a risk he was willing to take, so he regularly moved on. There was no way he was going to risk having an injury or a death marring his reputation. His reputation was what kept him in business. He couldn’t afford to risk it, so even when his clients begged him to stay, he refused and left them.

 

It wasn’t just getting bored that was a potential problem. It was also the possibility of getting too emotionally attached or comfortable around the person he was supposed to be protecting. Again, this was something that could lead to him becoming careless. Aaron wasn’t careless. In fact, he was overly care _ful_. Even during his relatively few years in his line of work he had become an expert at recognising potential dangers and weaknesses in security. He was a professional and he allowed nothing to get in the way of him doing his job. His attitude often came across as cold and stern but he didn’t care about that. He would rather appear closed-off than let a slip in his control cause his client to be put in danger.               

 

Staring at the gates, he questioned his sanity again. He tried to reason with himself. Maybe working with an actor would be good for him. Maybe it would be a refreshing change of pace.

 

He had completely refused the job when Finn had first approached him last week. Finn had left disappointedly but returned the next day to try to persuade Aaron again. Aaron was amused by Finn’s persistence when he turned up for the third day in a row but still refused the position. Each time Finn returned, he offered Aaron more money. After four days, Aaron began to soften to his friend’s desperate pleas and was close to accepting the job. He had decided to hold out for one more day to get Finn to push the money up a little more. However, Finn seemed to have detected Aaron’s shift in attitude so when Aaron told him ‘no’ again, he decided to play his trump card.

 

“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way. We really wanted the best but if I can’t persuade you I’ll have to look elsewhere. Do you know if Adam is working at the minute?”

 

Aaron’s eyes had narrowed at Finn’s words. There was no way he was going to let Finn take this job offer to Adam. Adam was Aaron’s best friend; he was also one of his biggest business rivals. The two of them had trained together and had immediately hit it off. Unfortunately, they were both so stubborn and confident in their own skills that a heated rivalry had developed between them. They were the best of friends as long as they avoided the topic of work. When it came to business, they definitely weren’t friends.

 

Aaron wasn’t going to let Finn go off to find Adam and offer him a job that was meant for him. Adam would just love taunting him about that and about the money he was raking in working for an actor. No way; that job was his. He had scowled at Finn like he was some sort of traitor before shaking his hand and agreeing to come to Robert’s house to meet him.

 

So Aaron had to admit to himself that he really did know what he was doing sitting outside an actor’s house in his car. It wasn’t because he was doing Finn a favour or because he needed the work. It was because he was too proud and stubborn to let Adam beat him at anything.

 

Drawing in a deep breath, he reached out of his wound-down window and punched in a number onto the security panel near the gate. He rolled his eyes as a green light flashed on the panel. There was no doubt in his mind that the four-digit number that Finn had told him must have been the actor’s birthday. It was ridiculous. It would be so easy for anyone to walk up to the gate and punch that number in without having to spend much time figuring out the code. Aaron didn’t know for sure; he just assumed seeing as every person he had ever worked for was just as predictable. He shook his head before driving his car through the now open gates and into the estate of the ‘superstar’ he was about to meet.

 

***

Robert was not in the best of moods that morning. He had a pounding headache and had already had to deal with an incompetent costume designer sent round to the house. She was supposed be measuring Robert for an outfit he was to wear in his latest movie but she had taken so long over it Robert had nearly lost his patience and yelled at her. He had chewed on his bottom lip in annoyance while trying to keep his cool. The last thing he needed was for the stupid girl to go off selling her story about how she was verbally abused by Robert Sugden to the tabloids and gossip magazines. The reason he was so annoyed was that he liked it when things ran to schedule. He was a busy person, he had a lot of places to go and people to see and something as simple as that over-running messed up his plans.

 

He barely had time to sit down and have a cup of coffee before his next meeting. Which was something else that was irritating him. Finn had insisted on employing a new bodyguard. Robert couldn’t understand why they needed to when Pete had been doing a good enough job. They had argued about it briefly before Finn won out telling him that it was what was expected of A-list stars and that Pete needed to share his work-load. Robert had grumbled about the whole thing and was less than keen to meet his new bodyguard.

 

As Robert sat in his kitchen drinking his coffee, chatting away with Finn about their plans for the rest of the day, his sister wandered in through the side door.

“Morning, boys,” she greeted them cheerfully as he poured herself a drink.

“Morning,” Robert replied slightly grumpily. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, I got here about ten minutes ago,” she replied as she sat down with them. “I’ve been talking to Pete outside.”

Vic, Robert’s sister, spent so much time at Robert’s house that she almost treated it as her own. She came and went as she pleased and even had her own room that she could stay in if she wanted or if she was too drunk to drive home. Vic hadn’t changed the way she treated Robert when he had become famous – he was still just her big brother, and he still needed putting in his place every now and again. Robert trusted her completely. He valued Vic as one of the only people he could trust to be completely honest with him.

“What’s up with you this morning?” Vic asked as she looked at her brother’s sulky face.

Robert rolled his eyes. “I’m meeting my new bodyguard this morning,” he said in a falsely chirpy voice. “And obviously I can’t wait.”

Vic smiled. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad. I thought it was someone _you_ know,” she directed at Finn. “Surely you wouldn’t have picked anyone that was going to upset our precious princess, would you?”

Robert huffed and swatted at his sister as Vic shot him a cheeky smile and leant in to squeeze his cheek.

“I’m sure you’ll get on just fine with him,” Finn tried to reassure him. “He’s a good bloke. Very professional.”

Robert just grunted in response. He really wasn’t interested. The sooner this bodyguard showed up, the sooner Robert could tell him what he expected of him and then he could be left in peace.

 

Finn and Vic continued chatting and Robert occasionally commented as they waited in the kitchen. After ten minutes, one of Robert’s housekeepers appeared in the archway leading into the kitchen. She cleared her throat and announced that there was a visitor to see them. Finn jumped to his feet and walked forwards as Aaron stepped through the archway and entered the kitchen. He looked at the three people in the room and immediately assessed them. Of course he already knew Finn who was shaking his hand vigorously, clearly grateful that he had actually turned up.

 

The other two people remained seated. The young woman looked friendly enough; she smiled brightly at Aaron and then looked back at her companion. The blond man’s facial expression didn’t alter as he looked up at Aaron. Even though Aaron was hardly interested in the lives of the rich and famous, he knew instantly that he was looking at Robert Sugden. His face had been unavoidable in the last few years. Even if he hadn’t recognised him, Aaron still would have known that this man was his new client. He would have known by the spoilt-brat look on his face as he clearly thought he had better things to be doing, like having his hair done or lying by his swimming pool. Aaron made his assessment of his new client quickly and waited to be introduced.

 

Meanwhile, Robert was waiting for an explanation. When he had looked up and seen the smartly dressed man standing in the archway, he thought that there was some mistake. The guy was hardly huge like he expected a bodyguard to be. He was probably an inch or so shorter than Robert himself and was clearly well-built beneath his fitted dark grey suit, but he wasn’t exactly the ‘human shield’ Robert had imagined. On top of that, Robert was trying to get his head around the fact that the man standing in his kitchen was _gorgeous_. Robert couldn’t think of another word to describe him. He had dark, styled hair and a well-groomed beard, the most striking blue eyes Robert had ever seen that seemed to be surveying everything in the room, chiselled cheekbones and soft-looking pink lips that had hardly moved since he had entered the kitchen. He appeared to be the strong, silent type. Robert looked the new arrival up and down quickly and wondered how he could possibly claim to be a bodyguard. He kept his face perfectly blank though. He didn’t want to give too much away, especially not the part about him mentally undressing the stranger. There was a reason why he was one of the best actors around and he was using his skills now.

 

“This is Aaron Dingle,” Finn said interrupting Robert’s thoughts.

“Right,” Robert drawled casually. “I wasn’t aware that bodyguards had personal assistants. When does the _bodyguard_ actually arrive?” He looked at Aaron and their eyes locked.

Aaron didn’t react to the comment. He knew that Robert was being deliberately awkward and trying to get a rise out of him. He just waited for Finn to explain.

“No, Robert,” Finn said, sounding a little awkward. “Aaron _is_ the bodyguard.”

Robert chuckled slightly. “Oh, I’m sorry, you just aren’t quite what I had in mind.”

Aaron nodded shortly. He really wasn’t surprised or bothered by Robert’s comments. He knew that he was the best at what he did and he knew that the best bodyguards weren’t giant meatheads.

 

Finn still seemed awkward as he continued. “Um, well…Aaron Dingle this is Robert Sugden.”

Aaron stepped closer to where Robert was sitting and reached out his hand.

Robert eyed it for a moment before shaking it. He tried not to wince at Aaron’s surprisingly strong handshake.

 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Aaron said. “I’m sure that Finn has told you about my record and I can assure you that your security will be the best in the country whilst I’m working with you.”

Robert noticed how Aaron didn’t say ‘working _for_ you’. He smiled sarcastically before he looked at Finn again. “I still don’t see why I even _need_ a bodyguard,” he said, bluntly.

Robert hoped that the comment would cause Aaron to feel uncomfortable, but instead the bodyguard just looked at Finn with a slightly quizzical expression.

 

Before Finn could come up with a reply, Aaron had jumped in.

“There appears to have been some sort of mix-up here. I was under the impression that my services had been requested. If there’s no need for me to be here…”

Finn interrupted him before he could say anymore. “No, no. There _is_ a need for you to be here. Could you just go outside and give us a minute please, Aaron?”

Aaron looked at his friend steadily and gave him a ‘don’t-mess-me-about’ look before nodding slightly and walking out the side door of the kitchen and into the garden.

 

Robert just sat in his seat and sipped at his coffee with a smirk pulling at his lips.

“Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?” Finn asked him irritably.

Robert raised his eyebrows and tried to look innocent. “I just asked a question,” he replied, sweetly.

“A question that we’ve already been over hundreds of times, Robert,” Finn told him.

“Yeah, well I know all your reasons, but I still don’t see why you’ve chosen _him_. He hardly looks like a bodyguard and he’s even younger than me. How has he even got enough experience to do this job? How is _he_ supposed to protect me?” Robert said, sulkily.

“You’ve only just met him!” Finn said in exasperation. “He’s a professional and he’s the best at what he does. You always say you only want the best. Vic? Help me out here, would you?”

Vic smiled widely at being dragged into the conversation as always.

“Finn’s right, Rob. If this guy really has the amazing reputation that Finn says he has, he’s obviously the right person for the job. Give him a chance. If it doesn’t work out, you can get someone else.”

Robert huffed slightly at being out-numbered although it happened quite often when he was confronted by Finn and Vic. He made a non-committal noise and waved his hand.

Finn took that as his acceptance of the situation and decided to go and break the good news to Aaron.

 

Aaron had been surveying the expansive grounds that spread out before him as he stood on the patio outside Robert’s kitchen. The land seemed to roll away into the distance and he marvelled at how much space Robert had all to himself. Something in particular had caught his eye though. It seemed that a large patch of grass to the right of where he was standing had been scorched in the recent past. It was too far away for him to work out what had happened but it certainly seemed out of place in the otherwise well-kept garden. He took a few steps to his right to be able to inspect the unusual patch of grass more closely but, before he had the chance, the door from the kitchen opened and Finn stepped out.

 

Finn smiled and walked towards him. Aaron turned to look at him as he approached, making a mental note to find out what had happened to the lawn.

Finn rolled his eyes dramatically as he reached Aaron. “Sorry about that,” he said, gesturing over his shoulder. “You know how actors can be. They’re all temperamental and touchy about stuff.”

Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Aaron replied, “Well, it seemed like he didn’t understand the urgency of his situation at all. You made it seem like he was terrified and had requested heightened security, but the way he acted a moment ago I would have thought that he wasn’t all that worried. It’s pretty hard to work with someone who isn’t even bothered about their own safety.”

Finn was shaking his head quickly. “No, no, it’s not like that. He’s an actor, he was putting a brave face on it all. He wanted the best, that’s why I came to you.”

“You don’t have to keep sucking up to me now, you know. You’ve got me here. I’ve agreed to take the job,” Aaron replied, bluntly.

Finn might have been surprised by Aaron’s attitude if he hadn’t known him for so long. He cleared his throat before offering to take Aaron on a tour of the house and the grounds so that he could familiarise himself with the area.

 

***

 

Much later, after Aaron had made a thorough examination of the house and complained about the appalling lack of security around the property, he left. He hadn’t seen Robert again during his tour and he wasn’t exactly disappointed. When he had first entered the kitchen that morning he had been a little distracted by the blond-haired man with the rather glorious face. It had only lasted a moment though as his professional demeanour took over and he assessed everything around him, including the people in the room. After witnessing Robert’s awkward attitude, he had decided that this actor was no different from all the rest.

 

Aaron was scheduled to return to Robert’s house the next day, when his overhaul of the security around the mansion and its gardens would begin. He was going to spend the rest of his day planning and making notes about the many alterations that he would have to make. There was no doubt in his mind that his plans would seriously irritate the ‘temperamental’ actor, but they were there to keep Robert safe so he would just have to accept the changes. It wouldn’t be the first time that Aaron had encountered resistance to his methods and he was certain that he would win any battle of wills that occurred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first attempt at writing for Aaron/Robert and I'm pretty new to this fandom, so I'm kind of nervous about posting this...please, be kind to me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos and lovely comments for the first chapter. The positive reaction encouraged me to get this chapter uploaded as soon as I could.

By the following afternoon, Aaron had already begun to make changes to Robert’s house. He had turned up early that morning, before Robert had even stirred from his bed, and started discussing his plans with Finn. Finn had agreed with all of Aaron’s suggestions, willing to do whatever it took to make the house and its grounds more secure.

 

Robert had appeared during the morning, taken one look at Aaron sitting talking to Finn and turned around and left. Aaron didn’t take offence at Robert’s behaviour; what else should he expect from some spoilt, bratty actor?

 

By midday, Aaron had already arranged a team of fencing specialists to begin constructing a tall fence around the outside of the rows of pine trees that surrounded Robert’s property. He could hardly believe that the only existing barrier around the garden was a row of trees and had decided that had to be the first area to be improved.

 

There had been no sign of Robert since his brief appearance that morning and, after his discussions with Finn, Aaron had set to work outside using the garden table as his base. He worked without interruption until Finn approached him clutching a black box. He stood in front of Aaron looking agitated before Aaron gestured for him to sit down.

 

“I know you’ve been wondering why I’ve been so insistent on the increased security,” Finn said as he sat down and placed the box on the table.

Aaron couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t interested. He had been curious about why Finn had suddenly decided that they needed to improve the situation and was keen to finally be told the reason.

Finn pushed the box across the table towards Aaron and lifted the lid away. He waved his hand over the top of the box and pulled a distasteful face.

“This is why,” he said, simply. 

 

Aaron pulled the box a little closer and lifted out the first piece of paper. He scanned it quickly before looking up at Finn. He didn’t say anything as he reached into the box again and took out another note. Silently, he read each piece of paper, his expression becoming more and more grim with each letter he read. Finally, he placed all of the messages down onto the table and looked at Finn seriously.

“How long has this been going on?” he asked.

Finn shrugged slightly. “About a year now.”

“ _A year_?” Aaron repeated loudly. “Jesus Christ. You didn’t think you should do anything about it until now?”

Finn looked at the papers guiltily. “I had hoped that the problem would go away. It just started out with some harmless fan mail, but then as time went on the letters got darker and darker and suddenly they changed into threats of violence and…well, you’ve read the most recent ones. They’re pretty graphic and disturbing.”

 

Aaron nodded silently; the tone of the messages _had_ changed. Whoever was sending them was obviously becoming more and more angry and delusional as the weeks went by.

“Well, there’s obviously a theme running through them all,” he said eventually as he picked up a few of the letters. “They all have this ‘by your side’ message in them at some point. It must have some significance.”

 

Finn nodded quickly. “Yes, it does. Robert was in a movie called _‘By Your Side’._ It was a romantic drama about a guy who died and came back to visit his girlfriend and take care of her even after his death. It was released about a year ago and these letters started arriving after that.”

 

Again, Aaron nodded knowingly.

“Well that links with the theme of the messages. From what’s in these letters, it’s almost like the stalker doesn’t even care if Robert is alive or dead as long as they’re close; as long as he can be by Robert’s side.”

He was deep in thought and stayed silent for a while.

Suddenly, he lifted the most recent note up and looked at it more closely. “Why is this one so screwed up?”

It seemed like a pointless question and Finn just looked at him blankly.

“This one is a mess,” Aaron said as he waved it at Finn. “The others are all neat and tidy like they’ve been delivered like any other letter, but this one is all ragged and bent.”

Finn gulped slightly and Aaron stared at him intently waiting for an answer. “That one didn’t come through the post,” he muttered quietly.

Aaron hadn’t missed what he’d said though and immediately leant forward in his chair. “If it didn’t come through the post, how did it get here?”

Finn lifted his eyes to look at Aaron and replied quickly, “Whoever sent it was here the other night. They-threw-a-rock-through-the-kitchen-window-with-the-note-attached.” He spoke so quickly that Aaron took a moment to process the information.

“They threw a rock through the kitchen window? This person was close enough to the house to actually do that? That explains why you’re so freaked out then,” Aaron said as he continued to look at Finn steadily.

He remained completely still where he was for a moment before pushing his chair back so suddenly that Finn actually flinched. He disappeared from sight for a moment before marching back to the table a minute later.

“By your side,” he said simply. “The rock through the window wasn’t the first time the stalker’s been here, was it? ‘By your side’ has been burnt into the grass outside the kitchen.”

Finn nodded glumly. “That was about a month ago now.”

 

Aaron sat back down in his chair slowly and licked his lips. “So Robert has a stalker who is completely obsessed with him and who has actually been to the house, at least twice. I’d say you’ve done the right thing calling me in now before this goes any further.”

“What do you think the stalker would try next?” Finn asked trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

“It’s hard to predict, but I’d guess that direct contact would be the next step. Hiding behind letters and messages will only satisfy him for so long. If he’s already had the balls to come to the house, I don’t think he’ll be afraid to try to get as close as possible to Robert.”

“He?” Finn asked, although he wasn’t that surprised.

“Yeah, definitely a male,” Aaron replied as he looked back down at the papers spread out on the table. “Just the things he says and the way he writes them.”

He didn’t elaborate and Finn was glad. He didn’t really want to know the inner workings of some psycho’s mind.

 

Aaron and Finn remained where they were for a while, discussing the messages and the seriousness of the situation. Finn felt truly terrified by the end of the conversation but he tried not to let Aaron see it. As he gathered up the letters and piled them back into the box, Aaron moved from his chair to see how the fence was coming along. Finn watched him walk away and felt a small sense of guilt nagging at him. He hadn’t told Aaron that Robert wasn’t aware of his stalker. Part of him knew it was wrong and ultimately terribly dangerous for Robert to be kept in the dark, but some part of his brain kept telling him that it was for the best. Besides, they had employed the best bodyguard in the country now. As long as _he_ knew everything, surely that was all that mattered?  

 

***

 

Four days after Aaron had been employed by Finn, Robert was in a foul mood. He couldn’t stand all the changes that Aaron was making to his home and had been completely pissed off when he had returned home to find that the gates at the end of his driveway had been taken down and changed. Not only that, but the security code, which had always been his birth-date, had also been changed, leaving Robert seething. He had stared at the back of Aaron’s head hoping to burn him with the intensity of his glare as they had driven up the driveway.

 

That was another thing that was pissing Robert off. He was no longer allowed to go anywhere on his own. Aaron had to accompany him _everywhere_. The first morning that he had left the house and found Aaron standing talking with his driver, Robert had demanded to know what was going on. Aaron looked a little surprised that Finn hadn’t filled him in but proceeded to explain how things were going to work from now on. Robert had looked just about ready to explode as he slid into the back of the car. Aaron had sat in the front seat all the while wondering why Robert was so resistant to someone trying to keep him safe. Maybe he had a death-wish, or maybe he was just a pretentious, stuck-up prick.

 

Robert stormed into the house and found Finn in his office.

“What the fuck is going on?” he shouted, angrily.

Finn looked up from his computer and blinked rapidly a few times at the irate star standing in the doorway. “What do you mean, Robert?” he asked.

“I mean, why is that arsehole ruining my life? Everything was fine before he turned up but now he’s changing everything. I never wanted a fucking fence around the garden. I didn’t want security cameras everywhere and I certainly didn’t want a new code on the main gate. I can’t even fucking remember the number he’s set it to! It’s _my_ fucking house!” Robert ranted and waved his hands around animatedly.

“It’s all for your own good, Robert,” Finn tried to pacify him.

“I don’t care,” Robert shouted again. “I don’t see why I even need all this stuff and why is he following me everywhere I go? It’s like having a fucking stalker!”

Finn flinched at how close Robert was to the truth with that comment. He stood from his seat and walked towards Robert. He reached past him and pushed the office door closed before guiding the seething actor to sit down on the leather couch in the room.

“Listen, Rob. You’re becoming more and more famous by the day. My job is to look after you and keep everything running smoothly. We can’t afford for some crazed gang of teenagers to come bursting in here or some sneaky paparazzi to try to get some private photos of you. We need this security and Aaron’s the best man for the job.”

“Aaron’s a dick,” Robert mumbled. He had calmed down substantially but still felt a lot of resentment towards his new bodyguard.

“He’s not a dick,” Finn laughed slightly. “He just knows what he wants and isn’t afraid of getting the job done.”

Robert huffed. “He’s a dick,” he repeated. “I know you say he’s the best, blah, blah, blah, but that doesn’t mean that I like him _or_ want him around.”

Finn rolled his eyes at his friend. “You don’t have to like him. You just have to let him do his job.”

“Whatever,” Robert replied as he pushed himself up from the couch. “I’m going for a lie down.”

 

***

The following day Robert’s mood was darkened even further.

He had been woken up early again by the noise of workmen ‘improving’ the security of the house. He dragged himself out of his bed and walked towards the balcony of his bedroom. Stepping out, he scowled at the sight of people milling about below, busily ‘messing up’ his home as he viewed it. However, something else immediately drew his attention. Across the lawn, Robert’s beautiful, heated swimming pool was glinting in the early morning sunshine. On the other side of the pool, Finn was standing talking to Aaron, pointing at the pool-house. After a few moments, Aaron stooped down and picked up a large gym bag before following Finn into the pool-house.

Robert’s eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief. He wasn’t sure what he had just witnessed, but if it was what he thought it was he was truly pissed off. Without hesitating, he stormed out of his bedroom and through the house.

 

As Robert approached the pool-house, he could hear voices from inside. That didn’t stop him stomping through the open door and interrupting.

“What’s going on?” he demanded as he looked between Finn and Aaron accusingly.

“Oh, morning, Robert. I didn’t realise you’d be up yet,” Finn said, smiling nervously.

“Yeah, well it’s fucking impossible to sleep with that lot banging about outside every morning,” Robert snarled in response. “What’s going on?”

Finn glanced towards Aaron quickly before looking back at Robert. “Well, I was going to talk to you about this today, but Aaron and I were discussing your security yesterday and we thought it’d be best if Aaron moved into the pool house.”

“ _What_?” Robert erupted. “Why the hell would you think _that_ was a good idea?”

Finn raised his hands trying to halt Robert’s fury. “It makes sense to have him right here on hand. Anytime you need him, he’s close by. It’s for the best.”

Robert was practically shaking with rage. “Do you think that you might ever consult me on any of these plans?” he ground out. “You keep making all these huge decisions without my consent. What if I don’t want him living here?” He stared at Aaron icily, not even bothering to hide his annoyance and outrage at the plan.

 

Aaron met Robert’s angry glare with a blank expression. He didn’t really care whether Robert liked him or not; that wasn’t why he was there. A small part of him almost wanted to laugh at the sight of the famous actor standing before him having a tantrum whilst looking completely dishevelled. Robert had obviously just climbed out of bed as his usually immaculate hair was sticking out in various directions and he wore nothing but an old t-shirt and his boxers. He was obviously so irate about the situation that, for once, his appearance wasn’t the first thing on his mind. Even though Robert looked furious, Aaron couldn’t help but think that he looked the best that he’d ever seen him; he looked completely natural, he wasn’t playing up to an image, he was just a normal man; a man who could definitely pull off the whole ‘just rolled out of bed’ look with ease.

 

Something was bothering Aaron though. He just couldn’t understand why Robert was so set against him protecting him. After Aaron had seen the many threatening messages that Robert had received from his stalker, he had understood the urgency of the situation and realised why Robert had requested heightened security. But something just didn’t sit right with Aaron. Robert’s attitude was all wrong. He didn’t seem like he was terrified; he didn’t even seem slightly concerned about the problem. As he watched and listened to Robert’s angry exchange with Finn, he suddenly realised what was going on.

 

Finn had finally managed to calm Robert down enough to send him back to the house to get dressed. He turned around to face Aaron and smiled weakly.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “You know how he is.”

Aaron nodded sharply before picking up his gym bag suddenly. “I don’t think that there’s much point in me unpacking.”

Finn’s face fell. “Oh, don’t let him being a diva make you leave. He’ll get over it.”

“That’s not why I’m going,” Aaron said simply. “I’m not going to be able to take this job after all.”

Finn looked wild with panic. “What? What do you mean? Why not?”

Aaron fixed him with steady expression. “I can’t work with Robert if he doesn’t know why I’m here.”

Finn started stumbling over his words, trying to come up with the right thing to say.

“Save your breath, Finn,” Aaron cut him off. “It’s obvious that he has no idea about what’s going on. I thought there was something weird right from the start but I couldn’t quite understand it. I can’t believe you haven’t told him that he has a stalker. The bloke has a right to know. It’s my job to protect him but it’s impossible to do that if he doesn’t realise what’s going on. I can’t protect someone who isn’t aware of the danger they’re in. The odds are stacked too highly against us.”

Finn looked at the bodyguard guiltily.

“Either you tell him or I’m gone and you can deal with this on your own,” Aaron told him.

Finn nodded immediately. “Alright, I’ll tell him today.”

“Now,” Aaron corrected him. “You’re telling him now and I’m going to be there.”

If it was possible, Finn looked even more worried but he nodded in agreement.

Aaron set down his bag and followed Finn out of the pool house to find Robert.

 

Half an hour later, Robert was sitting at his breakfast bar looking sullen as Finn and Aaron sat down opposite him. Finn placed the black box onto the table top and rested his hand on top of it. He glanced at Aaron but before he could speak Aaron had taken charge of the situation.

 

“Robert, I’m afraid there’s been some miscommunication since I’ve been here,” he began. “My job is not to make you miserable in your own home; it’s to make you secure. I didn’t understand why you were so angry about my presence here but now I do. You don’t understand the reasons _why_ I’m here. We can’t work together unless you know the truth.”

Robert had been looking increasingly confused yet curious as Aaron had continued to speak. He leant forward as he replied, “What do you mean?”

“I’m afraid you’ve been kept in the dark about what’s been going on. Finn was only trying to protect you from it but he realises now that you need to know everything.”

Robert looked at his manager questioningly but, Aaron was pleased to see, there was no anger on his face.

 

Finn patted the box before him as he looked at Robert steadily.

“I should have told you about this a long time ago, Robert, but I didn’t know how to and I didn’t want to worry you. I don’t really know how to explain it now.” He paused as he braced himself for Robert’s reaction. “We think that you have a stalker.”

Robert blinked rapidly a few times as a look of complete disbelief flashed across his face. “No,” he said after a moment. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Finn shook his head sadly. “I’m serious, Rob.”

Robert was shaking his head. He looked between Finn and Aaron quickly, hoping that one of them would laugh and tell him it was all a joke but they both wore solemn expressions. He didn’t say anything as he looked between them.

“I think you should show him the letters,” Aaron interrupted the silence.

 

Robert looked at the black box anxiously as Finn slid it across the table towards him. Slowly, he lifted the lid away and began to read the message at the top of the pile. He didn’t look up as he put it down and read the next letter. He read each note in silence, never looking up at the other two men until the pieces of paper were piled up on the breakfast bar. Eventually, he pushed the empty box away and looked up slowly.

For the first time since he had met Robert, Aaron actually felt sorry for him. He had paled significantly and he looked like he had just received terrible news. He _had_ just received terrible news – he had just found out that he was being stalked by a delusional mad-man.   

 

“So… this person really wants to hurt me,” Robert said eventually.

“It seems that way, yes,” Aaron replied.

Robert seemed lost. He was staring into space. For once he didn’t have anything to say and the silence seemed wrong somehow. Even Aaron didn’t like the fact that Robert was so quiet.

“Robert?” Aaron tried to get his attention. “Robert?”

Eventually, Robert looked at him and Aaron smiled slightly. “Now you know everything, you have a decision to make. If you want me to work with you and protect you, I’ll stay. I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. If you’d rather deal with this in your own way, that’s fine, I’ll leave. But I think it’s got to be up to you. I can only keep you safe if it’s what you want.”

 

Robert stared at him for a while as though he was assessing the situation in his mind. “I think I’d like you to stay,” he said quietly.

Aaron didn’t feel any sense of triumph upon hearing Robert’s words. He just felt relieved that Robert had made a sensible decision. He nodded once in understanding.

“If you want to talk about any of your security or anything else just come and find me,” he said. “If I’m not needed here, I’ll leave you two to have a chat.”

 

Aaron didn’t really need to be present when Robert snapped out of his daze and berated Finn for not telling him the truth sooner. He took himself back to the pool-house to unpack his things before going to check how the work on the house was coming along. He couldn’t help but think about Robert and how his whole life had been flipped upside down this morning. He was glad that Robert had decided to let him work with him and he hoped that his plans would be met with a lot less resistance from now on.    


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to all of you lovely people who have left kudos or comments! It truly makes my day to see the positive reaction to the story and definitely encourages me to work more quickly on the next update.   
> Now we've set the scene in the first few chapters, Robert is about to test Aaron's skills (and his patience!). I hope you enjoy!

If Aaron thought that things with Robert were going to be easy once the actor had discovered the truth, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

 

For the first few days after finding out about his stalker, Robert seemed quiet and, as Aaron described it privately, ‘well-behaved’. However, after the initial shock had worn off, Robert seemed to have rediscovered his ‘superstar’ attitude much to Aaron’s annoyance. He was convinced that Robert had a death-wish and he could hardly believe that anyone could be so blasé about their own life.

 

In truth, Robert was freaked out by what he had been told and the letters he had read. He had spent the first few days quietly contemplating how to deal with the news that he had a stalker who was clearly deranged; wondering if he should go into hiding or give up his life as a famous movie star.

 

As time went by though he began to get angry that some anonymous person was making him so afraid. He hated the fact that this person was able to make him so scared just by writing him some letters. He decided that he wasn’t going to give in to the fear. He wasn’t going to spend his time looking over his shoulder. He wasn’t going to change who he was just because someone was trying to scare him. Whoever was stalking him was just a nameless, faceless freak who hid behind threatening words in letters because he didn’t have the balls to come and meet him face-to-face. Not that Robert actually wanted to _meet_ his stalker; far from it. He never wanted to meet the person that was responsible for the messages he had received, but he also wasn’t going to be frightened into never leaving his house by him. With a new resolve to carry on as normal, Robert tried to get back to his ordinary life.

 

Aaron and Robert had clashed several times over the last week. Mostly because Robert wanted to carry on as he always had and Aaron wanted him to break away from his routines. Aaron continued to accompany Robert everywhere he went and despite understanding the situation, Robert still showed resistance to Aaron’s presence. He huffed and grumbled each time they left the house, complaining that he didn’t think it was totally necessary. Deep down, he knew it was. He knew that in reality Aaron was probably the only thing that was standing between him and his stalker. He just didn’t want to be one of _those_ people; the kind of star that needed a permanent security guard holding his hand.

 

Aaron gritted his teeth and persevered. He couldn’t quite understand why Robert was being so stubborn about his own safety, but he knew that his job was to keep Robert safe whatever it took.

 

Now that Aaron was settled in his post, he felt much more comfortable telling Robert exactly what he thought. He wasn’t afraid to make suggestions about what they should or shouldn’t be doing if it meant that Robert was more protected.

 

Unfortunately, Robert wasn’t always willing to listen to Aaron’s plans which had led to several heated moments between the two of them. Each time that Robert erupted when Aaron suggested that they changed his arrangements, Aaron just rolled his eyes in annoyance which only served to make Robert more irate. Aaron had always argued his point, never backing down from Robert’s pretentious attitude and whinging, knowing that he was right.

 

It was obvious that Robert wasn’t used to people actually disagreeing with him and he clearly didn’t like it. He lost his cool several times, telling Aaron to shove his ideas up his arse before storming away. It wouldn’t be long before Finn would appear telling Aaron that they would be following his advice and they would be leaving in a few minutes.

 

It was the same every time. Aaron knew that Finn managed to talk Robert round each time, making him see sense. He just wondered why it was so difficult for Robert to take the advice from him.

 

***

 

It was far too early when Robert woke up. He knew he wasn’t ready to wake up naturally; something had disturbed his sleep. For a horrible moment he feared that something was wrong. What if someone had managed to sneak into the grounds even with all the added security that Aaron had put in place? Aaron seemed so confident in the protective measures that he had added though and Robert felt slightly reassured. As he sat up in his bed wondering what had disturbed him, he heard a splash from outside his window. Scrunching his face in confusion and rubbing his hands across his eyes tiredly, he kicked the bedding away from his legs and slid out of his bed. He walked across his room slowly before standing beside the window.

 

The early morning sunshine glinted off the pool brightly but the water wasn’t still. Ripples flickered across the surface and as Robert leant forward a little to try to get a closer look, he realised that there was a figure gliding through the water. He narrowed his eyes slightly as a head of dark hair broke the surface of the water at the far end of the pool. It was Aaron. His body twisted around and strong legs pushed away from the wall as he set off on another length of the pool. He moved so fluidly that Robert found himself completely transfixed. He realised that it must have been the splash of Aaron diving into the water that had woken him. The glass door that opened out onto his balcony had been left slightly ajar last night so the sounds from outside had obviously filtered in to his sleeping mind.

 

Robert was tempted to push the balcony door open further so he could get a clearer view of the swimmer but he didn’t dare. Aaron obviously wasn’t expecting to have an audience and Robert didn’t want to get caught staring.

 

After what seemed like only a few minutes, Aaron came to rest at the deep end of the pool. He tilted his head back into the water before running his hand through his hair making it stick up randomly and leaving him looking younger than his usual gelled style did.

 

As Robert continued to stare, Aaron reached up placing his hands on the edge of the pool before pulling himself up with strong arms. A tiny gasp slipped past Robert’s lips and his eyes widened as he watched the muscles in Aaron’s arms and back ripple beneath his skin. Once he was out of the water, he stretched before reaching for his towel that had been thrown across one of the loungers beside the pool. He rubbed it across his hair and upper body briefly before heading towards the pool-house and disappearing from Robert’s view.

 

Robert remained where he was for a few moments. His mouth had gone very dry and his boxers suddenly felt rather constricting. He ran his fingers through his own messy hair before turning away from the window and heading back to his bed. What the hell was he doing? Why had he been so entranced by Aaron’s semi-naked form? Well, he knew why, but he knew that it was most definitely not a good thing. As he lay back in his bed, he tried to wipe the images of Aaron from his mind. He couldn’t afford to go down that route. Especially seeing as he didn’t even _like_ Aaron all that much.

 

A few hours later, Robert had gone downstairs to have breakfast. He hadn’t managed to get back to sleep after witnessing Aaron’s early morning swim so had eventually given up on the idea. As he sat at the breakfast bar sipping on a cup of coffee, Aaron walked in through the side door of the kitchen. Robert spluttered the mouthful of coffee he had just taken back into his mug and Aaron looked at him with a confused raised eyebrow.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, it’s alright,” Robert said as he felt his cheeks heat a little in embarrassment. “Do you want a cup?”

Aaron looked a little surprised at Robert’s friendliness but accepted his offer.

Robert was just relieved to have an excuse to get up and turn his back on Aaron for a few minutes while the blush faded from his cheeks. For some reason he felt completely flustered seeing Aaron this morning. He knew it was because now he knew what was beneath the well-fitting suit. There was a lot more to Aaron than what met the eye.

“There you go,” he said as he set the mug down before Aaron.

“Thanks,” Aaron smiled brightly at him. “So, you’re up early this morning.”

Robert’s eyes widened slightly at the comment before he managed to reply. “Yeah, I just couldn’t sleep.”

Aaron nodded slightly as he took a sip from his coffee. “I can’t stand staying in bed late. I prefer to get up and get going.”

Robert smiled knowingly. “So what time do you get up then?”

Aaron shrugged slightly. “Just whenever I wake up. It’s usually about six-ish.”

Robert pulled a disgusted face and Aaron actually laughed.

“It’s not so bad once you’re used to it. I like to go for a run or a swim first thing. It’s a great way to start the day.”

“Yeah, it is,” Robert muttered into his mug as yet again he pictured Aaron’s body.

“Sorry?” Aaron asked.

“I’m sure it is,” Robert said, covering his tracks. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

Aaron nodded with a smile. “Maybe you could join me one morning.”

Robert looked a little stunned and he coughed nervously. “Yeah, maybe.”

 

They slipped into silence as Robert desperately tried to keep his mind off swimming around with semi-naked Aaron in the pool. Fortunately for Robert, Finn walked in after a few minutes and interrupted his thoughts. Finn raised his eyebrows in shock as he looked between the two men sitting in the kitchen. It was a complete surprise to find the two of them there together apparently getting along quite well.

 

***

A few days after the swimming pool incident, Robert decided that he fancied an evening out. Aaron was well aware that an ‘evening out’ meant a night of drinking and clubbing. It was a difficult scenario for Aaron to perform his duties but his job required him to accompany Robert wherever he wanted to go and that included sticking with him as he staggered about drunkenly as the night progressed.

 

Aaron waited patiently with Robert’s driver beside the car on the driveway outside the house. It wasn’t his place to try to hurry Robert up. Even after only a few weeks, Aaron was fully aware that Robert took his time to get ready to go out. If he didn’t have a scheduled time to arrive somewhere, he usually wasn’t in any rush and Aaron was already used to waiting for Robert’s appearance.

 

Eventually, Robert flung the front door of the house open and announced that he was ready to go. He had already been drinking since earlier in the evening when his friend, Rebecca, had arrived and they both seemed in high spirits. Rebecca pulled the door closed behind them as they wandered towards the car and clambered in.

 

Aaron kept his face completely blank as he watched the two of them settle down on the back seat but he rolled his eyes as he turned his back to slide into the front seat beside Robert’s driver. Tonight was going to be a long night - he could just tell.

 

A few hours after they had been dropped off outside an exclusive club, Aaron still wore a blank expression on his face. He wasn’t out to enjoy himself and he wouldn’t have chosen a place like this if he was looking for a good time. He much preferred his usual pub and a few beers with his friends over a packed nightclub with music thumping so loud you could hardly hear yourself think.

 

Robert and Rebecca on the other hand were having a fantastic time. They seemed to be drinking their way through every cocktail on offer, mixing in shots of tequila between every two or three drinks. Aaron had wrinkled his nose in disgust at the first shot they had thrown back knowing that the pair of them would be suffering horrific hangovers the following morning. Robert had caught sight of that fleeting look on Aaron’s otherwise stoic face and complained about his ‘constant miserable’ presence to a giggling Rebecca.

 

Robert and Rebecca had headed towards the dance floor several times, so drunk that they really didn’t care if they looked ridiculous. Of course, Aaron followed them closely each time; standing on the edge of the dance floor, prepared for any unusual activity. A couple of times someone bumped into Robert as they danced and Aaron tensed. Each time, Robert immediately shot him a ‘ _don’t you dare make a scene_ ’ look before continuing to dance.

 

As they sat back down and the drinking continued, Rebecca cast a glance over her shoulder at Aaron who was busy scanning the constantly shifting crowd before she leant over to shout into Robert’s ear. “What do you say to trying to lose Sergeant Serious over there?”

Robert smiled mischievously and raised his eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?” he asked, enthusiastically.

 

Moments later, Rebecca stood up from her seat and made her way towards the toilets. Aaron watched her go before glancing back at Robert who was draining the remaining contents of his drink. A minute later, Robert followed Rebecca’s lead and made his way towards the men’s room.

 

Aaron was a step behind Robert the whole way until they walked through the door and Robert turned around scowling at him.

“I’m going for a piss!” he shouted a little too loudly, forgetting that the music was now slightly dulled. “I’m pretty sure I can do that without you standing behind me!”

 

Aaron sucked in a deep breath and smiled sarcastically. Walking to the stalls, he pushed each door open and checked them all. There was no-one else in there. He turned around to look at Robert who was tapping his fingers against the sink impatiently.

“I’ll be waiting right outside,” he said as he pulled the door open. Loud music flooded into the area and Robert shouted a sarcastic ‘thanks’ as the door swung shut behind Aaron.

 

As soon as Aaron was gone, Robert ran to the furthest stall along the row. He quickly locked the door behind him and climbed onto the toilet seat. Pushing the window open, he leant out and saw Rebecca smiling up at him brightly from the alleyway at the back of the club. Robert sniggered before hoisting himself up and clambering out the window. He dropped down into the alleyway beside his friend and burst into hysterical laughter. The two of them took a moment to compose themselves enough to be able to exit the alley and wander away from the club.

 

Aaron only waited a few moments outside the men’s toilets before he couldn’t take it anymore. He wasn’t comfortable having his client out of his line of sight and something else was bothering him. There was no sign of Rebecca in the club. Aaron had cast a quick glance across the sea of faces but she was nowhere in sight. He pushed the door open and entered the bathroom quickly. Robert wasn’t there but the door to one of the stalls was closed.

 

“Robert?” he called as he walked towards the stall. He wondered if the actor had suddenly felt the urge to vomit, which wouldn’t be so unbelievable considering the amount of alcohol he had consumed. He called again but got no response. For a moment, he feared that Robert may have passed out so he slipped into the neighbouring stall and climbed up onto the toilet to peer over. Robert wasn’t there but the small window behind the toilet was wide open and Aaron cursed loudly in anger.

“That fucking idiot,” he growled to himself as he jumped off the toilet and ran out of the bathroom.

 

He ran through the club not even noticing the angry shouts that followed him as he shoved people out of the way. He burst out onto the street and looked in both directions. He had no way of knowing which way Robert and Rebecca would have gone. His adrenaline was coursing through his whole body. He had to find them quickly; Robert’s life might depend upon it.     

 

***

 

Robert and Rebecca had laughed giddily all the way to another club further down the street. It wasn’t such an exclusive establishment but in their current state they didn’t really care. They were just out to have a good time and as soon as they got inside they headed straight for the bar to order more drinks.

 

They had been in the club for mere minutes when someone recognised Robert. A young woman wandered up to him and began chatting to him. He spoke to her as politely as he could manage in his current state and obliged when she asked for a selfie, before she wandered away, got a pen from the guy behind the bar and asked Robert to write a message to her sister on the back of an old receipt she produced from her purse.

 

Before Robert and Rebecca knew what had happened, a crowd had developed. There were people pushing and shoving, desperate to get closer to the mega-star. The whole situation was aggravated by the fact that most of the people had been drinking.

 

Robert wasn’t happy. He didn’t like the way the crowd was crushing around them and he wanted to leave. He signalled to Rebecca and stood up from his seat but, before they could head towards the exit, someone pushed from the back of the crowd causing several people to surge forwards and Robert was cut off from his friend. Rebecca tried to push through the excited fans but it was no use, she just got shoved further and further backwards as the group pressed forwards.

 

Robert staggered backwards as the crowd swelled. He was sobering up remarkably quickly now.

 

Suddenly an angry shout erupted from the group and a man punched another in the face. The two men became entangled in an alcohol-fuelled fight as the club security battled to get to them and eject them from the building. Things were getting out of control.

 

As the crowd backed away from the brawling men, Robert stumbled over a stool behind him and found himself flat on the floor. He was sure he was going to be crushed.

 

As he struggled to get himself upright, he heard more angry voices and suddenly there was a gap in the crowd. Before Robert understood what had happened, Aaron appeared in the gap. He looked furious but also completely determined. His eyes landed on Robert immediately and he grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him up from the floor.

 

“Are you hurt?” he shouted, as he leant in close to Robert.

 

Robert’s eyes were wide but he shook his head and Aaron wrapped his arm around his back and pulled him close against his body. In that moment, Robert felt totally protected and he knew that he was going to be safe.

 

Aaron pushed through the crowd, his arm still around Robert guiding him whilst keeping him slightly behind his own body. As they made their way through the unimpressed crowd, a tall man stepped in front of Aaron. He was angry that Robert wasn’t hanging around to take pictures with them and he began hurling a string of insults in Robert’s direction. He took a step closer towards Robert and Aaron reacted instantly. His face remained totally calm as he released Robert for just a moment. He reached up, grabbed the man behind his neck, pulled him down and punched him in the stomach. The man doubled over in pain as Aaron instantly clamped his arm back around Robert and continued leading him away. The rest of the crowd seemed to fall away; they had witnessed what Aaron had done and clearly felt intimidated by him. Robert didn’t look up; he didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone and he also didn’t want to see the anger on Aaron’s face.

 

Before Robert even knew what had happened, he was outside the club, being pushed into the backseat of the BMW that had dropped him off earlier that night. He had no idea how the car had ended up right outside the club they had gone to, but he was more than a little grateful to be able to climb into the back and be whisked away from trouble. Even as the car sped away with a squeal of tyres, Robert caught sight of people spilling out of the club trying to get one last look at him. He kept his head down, feeling totally embarrassed. He was sure that he was about to receive a stern telling-off from Aaron and, if he was honest, he thought he probably deserved it.

 

After a minute or so, Robert suddenly jolted upright and stared at Aaron. “Oh my God, where’s Rebecca?”

Aaron turned to look at him slowly.

“I don’t know where she is,” he replied. “The last time I saw her, she was sloping off through the fire exit while you were getting mobbed. She’s obviously a really good friend. My priority is to protect you. She’s not my responsibility.”  

With that, Aaron turned away again and focused his attention on staring out of the window.

 

For a split second, Robert looked like he might retort angrily to Aaron’s response but he just bit his lip and swallowed any comment he might have made. He really didn’t have any right to start yelling at Aaron. Instead he pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly text Rebecca to check that she was alright. He sullenly pondered what Aaron had said about her leaving him in the club in a mess before quietly returning his phone to his pocket and looking back down at his lap. Not only was he feeling like a naughty school boy, but he was also beginning to feel sick. He knew that he was going to be suffering a hangover from hell and he was pretty sure that he deserved it.

 

***

It was past lunchtime when Robert emerged from his bedroom. His head was pounding and he had spent a long time staring into the toilet in his en-suite bathroom. Moving around was horrendous but he knew that he had to get coffee and he was sure that no-one, not even Finn, would be rushing around for him after last night’s performance.

 

When they had returned to the house, Aaron had guided Robert inside without saying much. He had deposited Robert on the sofa in the living room before disappearing. Moments later, Finn had come bursting in shouting at him about what an idiot he had been. Robert had squinted up at his manager and nodded his head slowly before jumping up from his seat and running for the nearest toilet to throw up into.

 

“This conversation will have to wait until you’ve sobered up,” Finn had told him sternly after he had followed him.

Robert groaned as he rested his cheek against the toilet seat. He pushed himself up from the floor and staggered off to his bedroom.

Of course, Finn had been in to Robert’s room several times during the night, and the morning, to check on him but he wasn’t about to show him any sympathy to his face.

 

Getting down the stairs and through the house was slow progress for Robert. He felt like he could hardly lift his feet to carry himself to his destination. When he eventually walked into the kitchen, he was relieved to find that there was no-one else around. If he was lucky he’d be able to make himself a cup of coffee and drag himself back to his room without running into Finn or, even worse, Aaron.

 

Unfortunately for Robert, it just wasn’t his day and before he’d even got the milk out of the refrigerator the door from the garden swung open.

“Morning, or is it afternoon?” Finn remarked when he saw Robert standing in the kitchen.

Robert winced, he was sure that Finn’s voice seemed louder than normal. He looked at his friend sheepishly but didn’t say anything. He just waited for the lecture that he knew was coming his way.

“So, were you planning to get yourself killed last night, or just kidnapped?” Finn asked, sarcastically.

‘Here we go,’ Robert thought to himself as he slumped down onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar.

“It wasn’t like that,” he said, quietly. His voice was strained and gravelly and it felt like an enormous effort to speak at all.

“Oh,” Finn said loudly. “That’s your explanation, is it? What the hell were you thinking going off on your own like that?”

Robert sighed heavily and rubbed his aching head. “Obviously I _wasn’t_ thinking. I was wasted, so was Bex. We were just out for a good time. We didn’t plan to get into trouble.”

“Well, you certainly did a good job of getting into a complete mess. God only knows what would have happened if Aaron hadn’t found you,” Finn continued.

Robert couldn’t help but think that he sounded like a mother reprimanding her child but now wasn’t the time to make comments like that.

“You do realise that this will be all over the press too,” Finn added.

 

Robert sighed again and looked down at the breakfast bar. Sometimes he just wished he could be a normal guy that could go out and get completely hammered with his friends knowing that all he had to worry about would be feeling shitty the next day. In his world, the hangover didn’t just involve a headache and vomiting.

Finn looked at the top of his friend’s bowed head and sighed deeply. He understood Robert’s feelings and felt sorry for him even after what had happened.

“I’m only freaking out so much because I can hardly bear to think about what could have happened. It’s only because I care, you know.”

Robert looked up and smiled sadly. “I know,” he replied quietly.

“I guess it’s a good job we hired Aaron. I don’t know how you managed to get away from him but I don’t think he’ll be letting you out of his sight from now on,” Finn told him.

Hearing Finn’s words made Robert feel even worse. It wasn’t that he was bothered about Aaron keeping an even closer eye on him from now on; it was that he felt oddly guilty about causing Aaron so much trouble.

“Where is he?” he asked, feeling uneasy.

“Aaron? He’s in the pool-house. I’ve told him to take the evening off tonight seeing as you obviously won’t be going anywhere for the rest of the day or tonight,” Finn answered.

Robert just nodded. The previous night’s events were catching up with him again and he wanted to get back to his bed.

“You should go and speak to him,” Finn said, interrupting Robert’s thoughts. “He was seriously pissed off last night and I can’t blame him. You owe him an explanation.”

 

Robert winced at the suggestion. He really didn’t feel like he was even up to walking across the lawn to the pool-house, let alone trying to talk to Aaron about what had happened.

“Can it wait until tomorrow?” he asked, knowing he sounded pathetic and half-expecting Finn to tell him to just get on with it. “I feel like shit and, before you say it, I know I deserve to, but I really don’t feel up to talking to him right now. I’m not sure if puking in front of him will send the right message.”

 

Finn rolled his eyes, wondering how Robert could manage to be such a smart-arse even with a horrific hangover.

“Fine, it can wait ‘til tomorrow. You’d better go back to bed; I don’t want you puking near me either. I saw enough of that last night.”

 

Robert smiled sarcastically but didn’t have the energy to retort. Instead, he dragged himself through the house and back to his bed.

Before his eyes fell shut, he tried to think of what he might say to Aaron tomorrow. As proud as he was and as hard as he knew it would be, he decided that ‘sorry’ would probably be a good place to start. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all of your feedback on this story so far - it means the world to me that anyone is even reading it, let alone enjoying it and taking the time to let me know. So big thank you!
> 
> I thought I'd get an update done this evening seeing as I was floating on air after Thursday night's beautiful, heart-melting episodes, only to be left screaming 'NOOOO!' at my TV tonight. Updating makes me feel better about that, so here it is!

“I swear to God, I’m going to kill him myself!”

Adam laughed loudly and shook his head at Aaron’s exclamation.

“No, you won’t. That would hardly be good for business, would it?” he joked.

“I’m glad you think it’s so fucking funny,” Aaron scowled as he took a long drink from his bottle of beer. “I don’t know what I was thinking ever accepting this job.”

“I told you it was a bad idea. I told you that you’d hate it but you never listen to me, do you?” Adam reminded him.

 

It was unusual for Aaron and Adam to actually discuss work. It was a topic of conversation that more often than not resulted in them getting pissed off at one another. They were both so competitive and so stubborn that work related issues seemed to change them from best friends to enemies. But Adam had noticed the dark look in Aaron’s eyes as soon as his friend had entered the bar and had known that something was seriously irritating him. Knowing Aaron as well as he did, he had correctly guessed that it was work related, and even though he knew it was dangerous territory he had broached the topic and asked Aaron what was going on. Surprisingly enough, Aaron had launched into a tirade about the ‘idiotic, self-righteous dickhead with a death-wish’ that he was trying to protect. At first Adam had kept a serious expression on his face, trying his best to improve Aaron’s mood with what he thought were helpful comments, but after a while he had laughed at his friend’s continuing rant and told him to just relax. That didn’t go down well and just seemed to spur Aaron on to tell Adam about how he’d never be able to relax while he worked with such a stupid person who clearly didn’t care if he lived or died.

 

“Just quit if it’s that bad,” Adam finally suggested.

Aaron looked utterly appalled by the idea. “ _Quit_?” he repeated loudly. “No fucking way. I’m not letting _him_ push me out of a job.” Aaron was into full on ranting mode about his client as he described what it was like working with Robert. “He’s honestly the most annoying person I’ve ever met. He’s going around like, ‘oh, nothing can touch me, I’m so important’; ‘I can’t possibly change my schedule because then who will appear on this _extremely_ important magazine cover’; wandering around looking like some sort of Disney prince; telling me -”

“You what?” Adam interrupted his rant.

“What?” Aaron echoed, looking confused.

Adam looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Um, ‘Disney prince’, you just said.”

Aaron shook his head slightly. “Nah, I didn’t.”

“Mate, you definitely did,” Adam replied. He stared at his friend for a long moment. “Have you got a thing for him?”

“Fucking hell, _no_ ,” Aaron exclaimed as he furiously shook his head in denial.

Adam didn’t look convinced. He gave his best friend a knowing look and waited for him to speak again.

“No, I don’t have a _thing_ for him. I’ll admit, he’s, well, you know, he’s pretty…fit. But seriously, he’s the most arrogant git I’ve ever met. Even if I liked him, which I _don’t_ , I wouldn’t make a move on him because he’s my client and that’s just not on. He’s a complete muppet and I’m pretty sure he’s trying to get himself killed, but he still needs my help. He really does need seriously tight security.”

“I could always take over if it gets too much for you. You know, if you can’t resist his perfect Disney face,” Adam offered with a smirk.

That was the line that he knew he shouldn’t cross. He knew that it was comments like that which had caused blazing arguments between himself and his best friend many times in the past. But sometimes he just couldn’t resist the temptation to wind Aaron up.

 

Aaron’s nostrils flared as he breathed in deeply and narrowed his eyes at his friend. He seemed to be grinding his teeth for a moment as he stared at Adam.

“Thanks for the offer,” he eventually ground out. “But I’m sure I’ll cope.”

For once, Aaron hadn’t bitten back at him and told him where to go and Adam was actually grateful. He didn’t _really_ want to ruin their evening seeing as it was the first time that they had been able to meet up for weeks.

Adam quickly shifted the conversation away from work and onto other more easy-going topics and Aaron’s stresses seemed to fall away, at least for a little while.

 

***

 

When Robert woke up the next morning, he felt a hundred times better than he had the previous day. The pounding in his head and the nauseous feeling had departed; his hangover was gone. He actually felt remarkably carefree and might have forgotten all about the problems of the other night if he hadn’t remembered that he had to go and speak to Aaron. He knew he might as well get it over with seeing as Finn would just pester him about it until it was done so he decided to head straight out to see Aaron after he had showered and got ready for the day.

 

As Robert approached the pool-house, he could hear the muted sounds of loud music coming from inside. He knocked on the glass of the door and waited for some response but there was no sign of Aaron, so Robert pushed the door open and entered. He wondered if he should call out but for some reason he didn’t. Following the sound of the music he walked through the pool-house until he made his way to the area at the back of the building.

It was no wonder that Aaron hadn’t heard him knocking. The music was much louder now that Robert was inside and he was glad that his headache had cleared up. Hanging from the centre of the room was a large punching bag and Aaron was there beside it with his back to where Robert was standing. The blows that Aaron aimed at the bag rained down hard and fast, leaving Robert exhausted from just watching. He couldn’t help but marvel at Aaron’s physique. Of course he had already practically drooled at the sight of Aaron as he swam in the pool and now he was getting a close-up display. Aaron was wearing a tight-fitting t-shirt and long shorts and each time he threw a punch Robert watched in awe as his entire body seemed to flow with the movement. He suddenly felt very grateful for having Aaron on his side and his initial misgivings about how Aaron could possibly be equipped to act as his bodyguard seemed ridiculous now. 

He would have been content to watch this display for the rest of the morning but Aaron suddenly shifted position and kicked his leg up swiftly in a martial arts style action hitting the bag with his full force. With perfect timing the song seemed to come to an end just as Aaron straightened and turned around to face Robert.

“If you want to go out, can you give me chance to get tidied up?” he asked easily as he looked at Robert.

Robert’s mouth flapped open a couple of times at the sight of Aaron covered in sweat with his hair curling instead of in its usual gelled style. He had also thought that Aaron would be shocked to see him there but it seemed that he had known he was there all along.

“How…how did you know I was here?” he couldn’t help but ask in his surprise.

“I felt the breeze when you came through the door,” he said simply. “And then I could see your reflection in the window,” he nodded his head in the direction of the glass pane on the other side of the room.

 

Robert felt an embarrassed warmth tinge his cheeks as he realised that Aaron had known he was there staring the whole time. He coughed and fiddled with the bottom of his shirt for a moment before he looked up at Aaron again.

“I didn’t come over here because I want to go out,” he said eventually.

Aaron’s eyebrow lifted in curiosity but he didn’t speak.

“I came over here because…” Robert trailed off as he took a deep breath. “I came over here because I wanted to apologise for what happened the other night.”

For the first time since Robert had known him, he saw a look of surprise on Aaron’s face. He was actually quite pleased to have caught Aaron off guard; he wanted to show him that there was more to him than just some spoilt actor.

“I want to apologise for causing so much trouble. It was stupid of me to run off like I did and I just want you to know that it won’t happen again.”

Aaron blinked rapidly a few times. It was almost like he was trying to decide whether this was really happening. “Well,” he said after a moment, “I really appreciate that.”

Robert smiled slightly. “Thanks for helping me out,” he added.

“Sure. It’s my job,” Aaron told him.

Robert contemplated just leaving it at that. He said what he’d come to say; he’d apologised, but there was something else nagging at him. He half-turned to leave before he hesitated and faced Aaron again.

“I just…” he started, then had to clear his throat. “I just don’t want you to think I’m a complete arsehole who’s going out of his way to put myself in danger. If I’m being honest, I’m a bit of a control freak and this whole thing, well, it’s taken a lot of things out of my hands. And I know that you’re only here to help, but I suppose that you’ve been the one that was here for me to take it out on.”

Aaron was completely taken aback by the words coming out of Robert’s mouth. Was this even the same person who had been so downright awkward for weeks?

“You know I only want to help you, Robert. I know it must be difficult for you, but you’ve got to work with me if you want my help.”

“Well, I’ve not really said it before, but I’m glad that you’re around,” Robert replied and then he felt the warmth in his cheeks again. He looked down at his feet quickly. “I’d better leave you to it.”          

“Thanks for coming over here.” Aaron said as Robert turned to leave. “I’m sure it can’t have been easy,”

Casting a quick glance back at his bodyguard, Robert nodded and hummed in agreement. Aaron nodded at him before Robert walked away, leaving Aaron feeling totally bewildered by his behaviour.

 

***

Things were quiet for a few days. Robert carried on with his life as normal, although he seemed to have taken on some of Aaron’s advice.

Aaron had been very insistent that Robert should break away from his routines and change his schedules as his stalker was probably well aware of every move that he made. So without complaining (too much) Robert agreed to switch his plans around. Aaron was pleasantly surprised by Robert’s change in attitude although he didn’t voice his thoughts about it. He didn’t want anything to send Robert back to being awkward again. 

 

Unfortunately, Robert’s problem didn’t disappear. A letter from his stalker arrived a few days after his eventful night out. A shudder of terror passed through Robert as he read the poisonous words scrawled across the page.

 

It seemed that Robert’s stalker knew all about his night out with Rebecca. From what he had written, it was pretty obvious that he had been out himself that night, watching Robert’s every move from a distance. He was clearly angry that Robert had been snatched away from his view by Aaron. His words ranted on about why there was a new person permanently beside Robert and it almost sounded like he thought he should have been consulted about the new addition to security.

 

Aaron’s face remained blank as he read the letter. Inside, he was struggling to control his anger and annoyance that the stalker had managed to get so close to his client but he didn’t want Robert to see how he truly felt. There was only one thing that made him feel slightly better and that was the fact that the stalker obviously knew about him and, from what he had written, he obviously knew that Aaron wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

 

***

Despite Robert’s troubles he still had a job to do. Offers of movie roles arrived constantly. Being such an in-demand actor meant that Robert often cast his eyes over the first two pages of a script before throwing it away and telling Finn that he wasn’t interested. He didn’t need to accept every job that came his way; he could afford to be picky. Every so often something good would come along though and he would spend more time over reading it. It was one of these scripts that caught Robert’s eye and meant that he was signed up to take on a new role.

 

Things suddenly became very busy for Robert and, therefore, everyone else in his entourage. Of course, Aaron was constantly nearby but he often did a lot of standing around watching as Robert was directed or prepared for a scene. Aaron never complained about the situation. If anything he was actually quite pleased to have Robert so busy – it meant that he didn’t have time to get into too much trouble.

 

On one of Robert’s days off, Aaron happened to walk past the living room of the house. He glanced into the room as he passed then stopped in his tracks as he tried to understand what he had just seen. Actually walking backwards towards the open doors into the living room, he shook his head thinking that he was imagining things. There was Robert, standing in the middle of the room pointing a gun at the wall. Shaking his head didn’t work. When he looked into the room again, Robert was still standing there with the gun.

 

Aaron stepped into the room and cleared his throat to alert Robert to his presence. Robert turned around quickly but thankfully didn’t point the gun at Aaron.

“Um, what are you doing, Robert?” Aaron asked as he eyed the actor suspiciously.

Robert rolled his eyes and waved the gun at Aaron. “You mean this? You’ll think it’s ridiculous.”

Aaron was still watching Robert with concern. He was beginning to wonder if Robert was planning to sack him and take care of his own security.

“No, really, what are you doing?” he asked again.

 

Robert sighed and shook his head. “The director of my movie wants me to practise holding a gun so he gave me this one from wardrobe to bring home and use.”

‘It’s a fake gun,’ Aaron thought to himself in relief. ‘Thank God!’

“Some ‘expert’ gave me a few tips but I’m kind of making it up as I go along,” Robert admitted. “I feel like a total loser.”

Aaron laughed slightly, feeling a little sorry for Robert. “I could help you out,” he offered.

Robert looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Really? You would do that?” he asked in surprise.  

There was an amused look on Aaron’s face as he replied, “Of course. I’m not busy and I guess you could say that I have some experience in that area.”

Robert seemed to be debating whether to accept Aaron’s offer for a few moments before he smiled and nodded in agreement. “I really could use some pointers,” he confessed.

“Okay,” Aaron said as he stepped further into the living room. “Have you ever fired a gun before?”

“Um, does my dad’s air rifle count when I was a teenager?” Robert asked, although he was pretty sure that he already knew the answer.

Again Aaron looked amused. “Not really, I’m afraid. So I take it you’ve never actually held a real gun before then?”

Feeling a little self-conscious in the face of Aaron’s experience, Robert shook his head. “No, never.”

“Okay then,” Aaron said. “We need to start at the basics then. You have to be standing in the correct way.”

He made his way towards Robert and stood in front of him. He took the prop gun from his hand and placed it on the arm of the couch before directing Robert about his stance.

After a few minutes, he picked up the ‘gun’, inspected it with a critical eye, then handed it back to the actor.

Robert gripped the gun loosely as he stretched his arms out to point it at the wall.

With a tiny shake of his head, Aaron reached out and took Robert’s hand in his own. “You need to tighten your grip. There shouldn’t be any space between your hand and the grip. You shouldn’t put your finger inside the trigger guard until you’re ready to fire.”

 

Robert listened carefully and followed each of Aaron’s instructions diligently. Aaron was obviously quite enjoying showing him what to do and was clearly taking the lesson very seriously. Robert wondered if he had remembered that he wouldn’t actually be shooting at anything for real.

“Don’t force your dominant arm to be so straight, you need to have some flexibility. If you really fired it you’d need to be prepared for the recoil so your body needs to be able to react.” He gently manoeuvred Robert’s right arm so it had the smallest bend at the elbow.

Robert allowed himself to be positioned and instructed. He was suddenly very aware of how close Aaron was standing to him and he was trying hard to concentrate on what he was being told and not stare too much at his bodyguard. Unfortunately he was struggling. He couldn’t help but let his eyes wander across Aaron’s face and down to his chest before he snapped them back up to try to focus on what was being said.

“Do you feel a bit more like you know what you’re doing now?” Aaron asked as he released Robert’s arm and took a step backwards.

Robert nodded immediately. “Yeah I feel much better about it – thank you. I’m still not sure that I can pull off some betrayed guy seeking to avenge his murdered family but I’ll give it my best shot. No pun intended.”

Aaron frowned at Robert’s words. This wasn’t what he expected from such a famous, sought-after actor. He could hardly believe that Robert doubted himself, let alone felt able to confide those doubts to him.

“You’ll be great,” Aaron told him sincerely. “I’ve seen you on the set; you’re really good at what you do. Very believable.”

A tinge of pink appeared on Robert’s cheeks at Aaron’s words. He was used to hearing how ‘wonderful’ he was. There was always someone sucking up to him and boosting his ego to keep him happy. Somehow hearing something genuinely supportive from Aaron seemed to mean so much more to him.

“Thanks,” he muttered as he placed the gun down on the coffee table. “I really appreciate the lesson. Thanks for taking the time to show me what to do.”

He was a little sad that the time they had spent together was ending.

It was almost as though Aaron picked up on how Robert was feeling. There was an almost mischievous glint in his eye as he suggested, “I could always give you a lesson about how to _actually_ fire a gun.”

Robert looked at him questioningly. “What do you mean?”

“Well, if you want to look like you really know what you’re doing you should probably fire a real gun. I’ll give you a lesson on that if you like.”

The look on Robert’s face showed that he was more than a little bit interested in the idea. He quickly accepted Aaron’s offer feeling a thrill of excitement pass through his entire body.

 

Half an hour later, Aaron and Robert were walking through Robert’s massive expanse of garden. The house was quite a way behind them now but Aaron had still warned Finn about what they were planning to do so that Robert’s manager didn’t think that they were under attack. Eventually, Aaron came to a stop and decided that he was happy with their location. He had been carrying a large board that he secured to a tree before returning to a rather enthusiastic Robert. Next, he rooted around in the bag that had been slung over his shoulder and produced a pair of plastic-covered earmuffs and goggles and held them out to Robert.

Robert looked like he was about to protest but Aaron simply raised his eyebrows. “No safety gear, no shooting.”

Robert didn’t argue; he just took the items from Aaron and held onto them as he waited for more instructions. He was surprising even himself at how well he was coping with Aaron telling him what to do.

Aaron leant down to the bag again and pulled out a case. This time he didn’t hand it to Robert. He lifted the lid and produced a pistol which he handled with such skill and care.

“Always assume that a weapon is loaded. Point it downrange, making sure that it’s safe of course, and keep your finger outside the trigger guard,” he said firmly.

Robert felt a kind of nervous excitement at Aaron’s words. This wasn’t ‘playing’ with a toy gun anymore, this was a real gun that could be used to do serious damage. He gulped a little anxiously.

Without speaking again, Aaron placed the gun back in its case. For a horrible moment, Robert thought that the lesson was over but then Aaron looked at him and nodded. “Your turn,” he said. “If you can do this bit right, we’ll move on.”

 

It was like a test Robert realised. He had to prove to Aaron that he could follow his instructions and be safe before Aaron would allow him to go any further. Robert ran through what Aaron had said and done once before he removed the gun from its case. Aaron looked him over as he stood with the gun pointing at the target on the tree. Again Robert felt nervousness wash over him but this time he wondered if it was partly because of how closely Aaron was scrutinising him. Aaron finished his appraisal and nodded again. “Good,” he smiled. “Moving on.”

 

They went over Robert’s firing stance and how to align his sight. Before long, Robert was standing holding the gun ready to fire at his target. Aaron was standing close beside him wearing his own protective gear.

Robert couldn’t remember the last time he had been so focused. He was concentrating so hard on running through what Aaron had told him.

“When you have your aim, gradually squeeze the trigger with constant pressure. If you jerk it, your aim will be thrown off. Once you begin pulling the trigger, keep pulling it at a constant rate. I guarantee you’ll be surprised when the gun goes off. Try to time your firing with your breathing. Take a deep breath, exhale half a breath and fire a round.”

Robert did exactly as Aaron had told him. He took a deep breath, he exhaled and before he really knew what he’d done he felt the jolt of the gun firing. Aaron was right – he was surprised.

“Jesus Christ!” he shouted as he stared at the target.

He could hear Aaron’s muted voice commenting on his first attempt, saying that it wasn’t bad for a beginner, and he felt pretty damn good about it.

Aaron instructed him to retake aim and continue and Robert didn’t hesitate. He was enjoying himself far too much to stop now.

 

After firing numerous rounds, Robert’s fun had to come to an end. Aaron signaled that it was time to wrap it up and Robert handed him the gun. He was absolutely buzzing as he watched Aaron unload the weapon and then check it. When he finally removed his goggles and earmuffs he felt a little weird – everything was suddenly very loud around him.

 

When Aaron had packed the gun away, he stood up to face Robert.

“Did you enjoy that?” he asked. He already knew the answer by the beaming smile on Robert’s face. It gave him an oddly warm feeling to know that he had brought such happiness to Robert by sharing something that he enjoyed so much with him.

“It was amazing!” Robert told him brightly. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” Aaron replied.

Robert was still on a high as Aaron gathered up all of his equipment and they began walking back towards the house.

“You’ll need to wash your hands and face when you get inside,” Aaron told him when he managed to get a word in through all of Robert’s talking. “You don’t want any residue left on your skin.”

Robert nodded in understanding. They walked on a short distance in comfortable silence before Robert suddenly said, “I really don’t know how to thank you for this afternoon.”

Aaron smiled easily and shook his head. “There’s no need to thank me.”

“Yes, there is,” Robert argued. “You didn’t need to give up your afternoon off for me, but you did anyway.”

Shrugging his shoulders slightly and swiping his thumb across his lower lip a little self-consciously, Aaron shook his head again. “It was nothing. Besides, I’ve actually enjoyed myself.”

Robert smiled brightly. “Me too.” He fell silent as he chewed on his lip for a few seconds. He looked a little anxious as he drew in a deep breath and said, “How about I take you out for dinner? As a way of saying thanks.”

Aaron’s eyes widened in surprise and Robert would have laughed at his expression if he hadn’t been so worried about the response he was going to receive.

“There’s really no need,” Aaron said after a moment of just staring at Robert in shock.

“You already said that,” Robert smiled cheekily. “But I want to.”

“I’m sure you don’t want to spend a night with me,” Aaron replied. Then, much to Robert’s amusement, his eyes widened in embarrassment and he looked away from him.

Robert let out a soft laugh. “Please accept, Aaron. You don’t want me to beg, do you?”

Aaron’s eyes snapped back up to look at Robert. He didn’t know what to say and was pretty sure that if he opened his mouth whatever he said would come out sounding like some sort of innuendo. And was Robert teasing him? Or flirting with him? He took a moment, cleared his throat and finally said, “I’ll only accept if _I_ get to choose where we go.”

There was a triumphant smile on Robert’s face and his eyes seemed to light up upon hearing Aaron’s words.

“Of course you can choose. It’s your reward for putting up with me after all.” Robert was still smiling as he turned to continue walking towards the house. “Tomorrow night?” he called over his shoulder.

“Um…yeah, that’s fine,” Aaron replied, once again caught off guard.

“It’s a date,” Robert grinned as he let himself into the house.

 

Aaron hadn’t taken his eyes off Robert as he had disappeared into the house - for some reason he just couldn’t. He felt like he had suddenly seen a different side to Robert and he had to admit that he felt pretty curious about it.      


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve changed Robert and Aaron’s backstories a bit to fit the story a bit better. And just as a reminder, Aaron never suffered any childhood sexual abuse in this universe. 
> 
> I just want to say thank you again for all the lovely feedback - I know I keep doing this at the start of every chapter, but it really does make me so happy. Here's a lovely long chapter as a 'thank you'!

It seemed like Aaron’s ‘date’ with Robert arrived rather suddenly. He had tried not to think about it too much during the day seeing as it seemed to cause a strangely nervous sensation to settle in his stomach. He wasn’t used to that feeling and he didn’t like it. It was a long time since anything or any _one_ had caused him to feel so unprepared and anxious. Not that he wasn’t looking forward to his evening out with Robert; far from it. He was actually hoping to get to know more about the actor who seemed to be revealing tiny parts of his true nature ever so slowly to Aaron. It was just that odd little feeling in his gut when he thought about it. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was causing it, so he tried to forget about it altogether.

 

Hovering about near his car, agitatedly waiting for Robert, Aaron wondered for the hundredth time if he looked alright. Then for the hundredth time, he asked himself why he was worried. It wasn’t an _actual_ ‘date’ as Robert had jokingly called it. At least Aaron _thought_ it was a joke. He really didn’t want to get into an internal debate about how unprofessional it would be to actually be taking Robert on a real date.

‘It’s not a date,’ he told himself forcefully.

‘Why does it feel like one then?’ a little voice in his mind called back.

Just as he feared the debate may have started, the front door of the house opened and Robert appeared, smiling brightly. All troublesome thoughts seemed to disappear from Aaron’s mind and he found himself smiling in response.

Robert looked great and he was clearly excited about his ‘date’ as he bounded down the steps eagerly. He came to a halt just in front of Aaron.

Still smiling, he said, “I know what you’re thinking.”

Aaron’s eyes widened a little. He really hoped that Robert didn’t know what he was thinking in that moment. The sight of Robert dressed up for an evening out with him and looking so genuinely happy was causing strange things to happen in Aaron’s mind and he didn’t think that his thoughts were shareable. He gulped slightly as he struggled to find a reply.

Robert laughed lightly. “You’re thinking, ‘God, he’s always late for everything.’ Well, I’ll have you know that it’s known as being fashionably late and all the biggest stars are doing it.”

He was obviously taking the piss out of himself and Aaron could hardly believe it. Was this really the same person that had seemed so uptight and pretentious? He hoped that this was a good start to the evening and he chuckled along with Robert’s comments. Knowing that they couldn’t stand outside the house talking all evening, he reached forward and opened the passenger side door of his car.

In the process, he had to lean close to Robert and he found himself breathing in deeply to inhale the scent of his hair products and aftershave. He had no idea that Robert was doing exactly the same thing to him.

As he pulled the door open and gestured for Robert to climb in, the two of them seemed to stare at one another for a long moment before Aaron cleared his throat and Robert slipped into the car.

Aaron closed the door behind him and made his way to the driver’s side.

‘It’s not a date, it’s not a date,’ he chanted to himself internally before breathing deeply and entering the car.

 

Aaron had chosen the location of their ‘not-date’ as agreed. He led Robert to a small Thai restaurant. It was the kind of place that most people walked straight by as it was a tiny establishment which appeared to be dimly lit.

Robert looked at Aaron with a raised eyebrow as if asking ‘ _really_?’ as the bodyguard held the door open for him.

When they walked in, Aaron was greeted immediately like an old friend. The owner of the restaurant shook his hand eagerly and welcomed him warmly.

“No Mr Barton tonight?” he asked as he peered around Aaron to look at Robert.

“No, not tonight,” Aaron replied as he turned to introduce his guest. “This is Robert. I’m hoping you’ll impress him with your delicious menu.”

“Of course,” he replied smiling as he shook Robert’s hand. “You are very welcome. Please follow me to your table.”

 

Once Aaron and Robert were settled at their table and left alone Robert immediately asked, “So you come in here often, do you?”

Aaron shrugged slightly but smiled. “I like it here. The staff are really friendly and the food is great. And I thought it would be a good place for us to have an evening without too many people recognising you and spoiling our meal.”

Robert nodded in understanding, grateful that Aaron had thought about something like that. He wasn’t quiet for long before he asked, “Who’s Mr Barton?”

There was a smile tugging at Aaron’s lips as he replied, “You’re very nosey, aren’t you?”

Robert looked stunned at Aaron’s words, it was very rare for people to say things like that to him. Vic and Finn were usually the only people who told him what they really thought.

Trying to seem like he wasn’t all that interested, even though he was desperate to know if Aaron regularly came on dates here with his partner, he replied casually, “No, I’m just making conversation. It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.”

Aaron laughed. “It’s not that much of a secret. ‘Mr Barton’ is Adam, my best friend. We often come down here when we’re both in the area.”

Robert made a small ‘oh’ sound while he tried to hide the pleased smile that was pulling at his mouth. “Well, what do you recommend then?” he asked as he glanced down at his menu.

 

Much later, several bowls of various Thai specialties were nearly empty on the table. Robert was pulling a rather displeased face and Aaron was worried that he hadn’t enjoyed the meal.

“Are you alright?” he asked in concern. “Was something wrong with the food?”

“No, not at all,” Robert replied immediately. “That’s just it. It was all so good that I want to finish it but I just can’t. I’m so full.”

Aaron chuckled in relief. “So would you come back again?”

A cheeky grin appeared on Robert’s face. “Is that an offer?”

It was amazing to Aaron that in the space of a day Robert had managed to catch him off guard so many times. He wasn’t used to stumbling over his words or not having a clue what to say in response to someone.

“Maybe,” he muttered before he took a long sip from his drink.

 

The conversation had mostly focused on Robert’s current schedule and what he thought of the people he worked with. Nothing too in-depth had been mentioned. They fell into an easy silence as their dishes were cleared away. Then Robert suddenly said, “Tell me something about yourself.”

Looking almost serious, Aaron replied, “What would you like to know?”

“Anything,” Robert said simply as he laced his fingers together and laid his hands on the table-top.

Aaron contemplated the suggestion, his mind debating what he should tell Robert. It was difficult to know what to say seeing as he had been given such a wide scope. ‘Anything’ really didn’t help him decide on a subject for discussion.

After thinking for a while, he cleared his throat before saying, “Well, I have a sister.”

“Older or younger?” Robert immediately asked.

“Younger,” Aaron replied. “She’s still in school – only fifteen.”

Robert’s eyebrows rose a little at that. He made a thoughtful sound before remarking, “That’s quite an age difference.”

It was obviously a question about the age gap between him and his sister phrased as a statement and for a moment Aaron considered calling Robert ‘nosey’ again, but for some reason he sensed that their conversation had changed direction. Robert seemed genuinely curious; all of the cheekiness from earlier on in the evening had disappeared.

“It’s a little complicated,” Aaron eventually replied.

Robert nodded in understanding. “Aren’t all families.”

Aaron hummed in agreement. “My mum left my dad when I was eight,” he said, after a few moments. “And I ended up staying with him. Things were difficult and he was never going to win any awards for ‘dad of the year’. After a while, he remarried and they had my sister, Liv. I’d been going off the rails since my mum left and my dad couldn’t control me. By the time I was a teenager, I was hanging round with all the wrong sort of people and getting into trouble. He couldn’t cope. We were always fighting and he must have decided that hitting me was the best way to control me. Of course that didn’t work and things just got worse and worse, so I think eventually he just gave up on trying to sort me out and he sent me away to live with my mum.” 

“Shit,” Robert breathed out when Aaron trailed off. “Your dad sounds like a really good bloke,” he added sarcastically.

“He’s dead now,” Aaron told him bluntly.

Robert’s face fell immediately; he looked mortified. “Oh, Aaron, I’m sorry. I had no idea. I never would have said anything…”

“It’s okay,” Aaron cut him off before he could apologise anymore. “How could you have known? There’s no need to apologise. It doesn’t bother me anymore. And that’s what brought me to Liv anyway. When he died, we reconnected and it’s one of the best things that ever happened to me. And moving back to live with my mum is the reason I work in close protection now. She knew I’d got a lot of pent up anger and I was venting it in all the wrong ways, so she signed me up to all these martial arts groups and a boxing club. I loved it so much I decided to make it part of my career.”

 

As Robert listened to Aaron’s words intently, he began chewing at his lower lip almost nervously. In that moment, as Aaron looked at Robert, he saw him as a normal guy worried about whether he had offended or upset someone. He seemed so natural that Aaron could have almost forgotten that he was out with the famous Hollywood superstar. The more Aaron thought about it, the more he realised that there was actually a lot more to Robert than he had initially realised.

 

After a while, he seemed to suddenly become aware that he had been staring at Robert for quite a long time. He cleared his throat and leant forward a little.

“So, now you know a little bit more about me, why don’t you tell me something about you?”

Robert shifted his position and relaxed back into his seat, relieved that Aaron hadn’t told him to mind his own business and ended their evening out.

“What would you like to know?” he asked, copying Aaron’s question from earlier in the conversation.

Aaron picked up on it immediately and smiled easily. “Anything,” he answered, recalling Robert’s vague suggestion.

Robert rolled his eyes. “If you want to know _that_ I suggest searching for me on the internet. I’m sure you’d find out loads of fascinating ‘facts’ about me, including things that _I_ don’t even know about myself.”

“I’d rather _you_ told me something about yourself. Something true, maybe something that not all of your fans _think_ they know,” Aaron replied.

It was Robert’s turn to look thoughtful. He didn’t say anything for a while as he decided what to tell Aaron.

“Well, seeing as you told me about your family, I guess I should start there.”

Aaron didn’t speak, he just nodded his encouragement.

“Obviously you know Vic so no surprises there, but I don’t really have much to do with the rest of my family. My step-mum, Diane, keeps in touch but I don’t see much of her. That’s probably to do with how things are between me and Andy.” Robert trailed off and seemed lost in thought.

 

This was obviously a sensitive subject for Robert and Aaron understood. Families were definitely complicated things as Robert had stated earlier. He was about to speak to break the silence but Robert suddenly focused on him again and continued with what he was saying.

“My brother, Andy, and I don’t see eye to eye – at all. We haven’t got on for years. We’ve both done stupid things over the years and caused a lot of pain to each other and our family. I’ve always blamed him for my mum’s death; I’ve done things that I’m not proud of as a way of getting back at him, and the last time we spoke was at my dad’s funeral.”

 

Aaron was startled by the comment. He had no idea that Robert had lost both of his parents. It had never been mentioned and he had never asked.

“I didn’t realise about your parents, Robert. I’m sorry.”

“Can’t change the past, can we?” Robert shrugged slightly but the carefree response didn’t match the look in his eyes. “Andy was always the golden boy with my dad. That’s part of the reason why we don’t get on, I suppose. I guess you and me are kind of similar in some ways. My dad wasn’t exactly there for me either. When he found out I was bisexual, he could hardly even look at me, but that was just one of a hundred reasons why I wasn’t good enough for him. He was a typical Yorkshire man in every way. All he wanted was for me to run the farm with him, but I wasn’t interested and we argued over it so many times. And when I told him I wanted more than his crappy farm - that I wanted to be an actor – well, that was the final straw. He couldn’t support me and my ‘fantasies’. He told me I’d fail. He told me I was a disappointment; I wasn’t the son he wanted, not like Andy. So I left and a few years later he died. I never spoke to him again after the day I walked out.” 

 

Such a simple explanation didn’t seem to do the reality of the situation any justice. Aaron didn’t know what to say. It may have happened several years ago and Robert was obviously good at pretending he was over it, but Aaron could see beyond that and he didn’t think he could find the right words to comfort Robert in any way.

 

Fortunately, Robert didn’t seem to be waiting for any consoling words from Aaron and he continued talking. “I guess something like that has the power to make or break you, right? I like to think it’s made me stronger. I had to make it on my own, but I did it.”  

Aaron blinked a few times and wondered if there was anything else that Robert was going to reveal about himself.

Watching Aaron closely, Robert chuckled dryly.

“You look surprised. You wanted to know something ‘true’ that you wouldn’t find online, so there you go. There aren’t many people that know what I’ve just told you. My dad didn’t exactly want our dirty laundry airing in public. I think he probably pretended I’d never even existed after I’d left.” He huffed out a bitter laugh. “I probably shouldn’t have said so much though, I’m sure you’re not really all that interested in my family troubles.”

“No, no,” Aaron immediately replied. “I am interested. I’m glad you told me. It’s good to find out more about you. I’m sorry to hear about how things were with your family though – it can’t have been easy. Nobody should have to go through that.”

Robert nodded once in acceptance and then smiled slightly. “I hope I haven’t ruined our evening by depressing you.”

Aaron smiled in response. “Of course not. I’ve really enjoyed myself tonight.”

The smile on Robert’s face widened and the lingering pain in his eyes seemed to disappear. He felt like he had taken a huge step by opening up to Aaron about his family. He wasn’t sure why but he felt like he could trust his bodyguard with such a private piece of information about his life. Robert had been let down and betrayed several times in the past and as a result he didn’t trust people easily. Something made him trust Aaron though and that made him happier than he had been for quite a while.

 

After a lot more talking and asking questions about each other, Aaron and Robert made their way home. Robert had insisted on paying for their meal when Aaron had tried to pay half.

“This was my idea and my way of thanking you for helping me out remember,” he had said as he handed his money to their waiter.

“You really didn’t have to,” Aaron frowned.

“So you keep saying, but I wanted to,” Robert smiled. “And if you ever decide to audition for a movie role and you need some pointers you know I’ll be willing to help.”

Aaron laughed. “As long as you’re not chasing after the same part, right?”

“Of course,” Robert laughed brightly.

 

The journey back to the house seemed to fly by and Robert was actually disappointed when they passed through the gates and made their way up the driveway. He didn’t want their evening to come to an end.

 

When Aaron parked the car outside the house, Robert made a decision. His evening out with Aaron had been one of the best he had had for a long time and he was in no hurry for it to be over.

“You’re going to come in for a brew, aren’t you?” he asked casually as he stepped out of the car.

Inside, he didn’t feel all that relaxed. His heart was pounding in his chest. He knew he was taking a big risk by inviting Aaron inside but he just didn’t want their evening to come to an end. Waiting for Aaron to respond to his suggestion was torturous and he began to think that he was going to be rejected. He considered backing out of the offer but suddenly Aaron smiled brightly and nodded his acceptance. Robert’s eyes lit up as he led Aaron through the front door.

 

They made their way to the kitchen where Robert set about making two cups of tea. Every so often, he glanced at Aaron who was looking out the kitchen window across the garden. Each time he looked at his bodyguard he felt his stomach flip. It wasn’t an uncomfortable or horrible feeling, it was more a sensation of nervous excitement and happiness that brought a tiny smile to his face. He was so focused on Aaron that he didn’t notice that he was spilling milk all over the counter until it was too late.

“Oh, shit,” he muttered, before turning to grab a cloth from beside the sink.

 

When he turned back round, Aaron was suddenly standing very close behind him inspecting the puddle on the marble surface. His eyes locked with Robert’s as he smiled.

“I think it’s a good thing we went out for a meal if this is the mess you make just making a cup of tea,” he laughed.

Robert narrowed his eyes playfully at him. “I’ll have you know that I’m actually rather talented in the kitchen. This mess wasn’t my fault; you were distracting me.”

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he wondered if he had made a huge mistake, but Aaron didn’t back away or even look flustered by the comment. Instead he slowly leant closer to Robert and gently took the cloth out of his hand. His fingers brushed against Robert’s lightly and something electric seemed to fizzle across the skin where they had touched.

“I’ll clear this up,” he said quietly. “You put the milk away.”

Robert blinked rapidly a few times. He suddenly felt rather warm and he couldn’t stop his eyes roaming over Aaron’s face and upper body as they remained standing close together. Before he allowed himself to do something that he might regret, he slipped away from Aaron to grab the milk and take it back to the refrigerator. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart while he was hidden by the refrigerator door before making his way back across the kitchen to collect his rather milky tea.

 

Robert led Aaron into the living room, all the time berating himself for being an idiot. His mind was running through several fantasies that involved Aaron but he kept trying to remind himself that he was being stupid. Aaron wasn’t interested in him like that and certainly wouldn’t allow himself to get seduced by Robert. However much he tried to tell himself that though, there was a little voice in his mind that kept saying, ‘He’s been flirting with you. _Maybe_ he does like you like that. _Maybe_ you should find out for sure.’ Robert had to block that voice out; he didn’t want to look like a complete fool by throwing himself at Aaron and ultimately being rejected. Sure Aaron would be totally professional about it and probably never mention it again, but Robert would never get over the humiliation. He’d never be able to look his bodyguard in the eye again.

 

“You look deep in thought.”

Robert was startled from his musing by Aaron’s voice cutting through the silence. In truth he was glad for the interruption. He had enjoyed the evening so far and didn’t want to ruin it now by thinking about something that he couldn’t have.

“I was just thinking about you, actually,” Robert replied truthfully.

A look of surprised confusion appeared on Aaron’s face.

“What exactly were you thinking about?” he asked as he looked at Robert steadily.

Although Robert had admitted thinking about Aaron, he wasn’t about to confess exactly _what_ he had been thinking about so he replied, “I’ve been thinking about your job.”

“Oh,” Aaron nodded, but the confused look didn’t change and he looked like he was expecting something more.

Robert couldn’t help but think that the curious expression made him look even more gorgeous but he quickly tore his mind away from such thoughts.

“I was just wondering why you enjoy being a bodyguard.”

Aaron smiled widely at the comment. It was obvious that he had a real passion for his work and he enjoyed talking about it.

“Well, I love the fact that it’s a challenge. It’s physically and mentally demanding. No two days are ever the same. You have to be prepared for anything and everything.”

Robert hummed lowly in understanding. “What’s the worst part then? And don’t say standing around watching me all day.”

Aaron laughed lightly before looking serious. He thought about the question for a few moments.

“I guess the worst part is getting hurt. If you get injured in some way you obviously have to put up with the pain but what’s worse is that it puts you out of action until you’re fully recovered and that sucks. There’s nothing worse than being laid-up with some injury when all you want is to be working.”

It was Robert’s turn to laugh softly. “You’re a workaholic, you know that?”

Aaron shrugged. “Maybe. I just love what I do.”

Robert stared thoughtfully at Aaron for a long time. “What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?”

A frown appeared on Aaron’s face as he obviously recalled something that had happened to him. He looked serious as he replied, “I got shot once.”

Without meaning to seem dramatic, Robert drew in a sharp breath at the thought of it. Having fired a gun only the day before, he suddenly had a lot more respect for the weapon; he knew what damage could be caused by one.

“Oh my God. What happened?” he asked in awe.

“It was a long time ago and I was fairly new to the job. I was working for someone in the government. We were at a demonstration and some crazy guy pulled out a gun. It was too late for me to do anything to stop him so I blocked my client and took the bullet. It hit me in my left shoulder but I managed to shoot the bastard that hit me and disable him before I lost consciousness.”

Robert’s eyes were wide as he stared at Aaron in shock.

“Did it hurt?” he asked. His voice seemed strangely quiet.

Aaron nodded immediately. “It hurt like hell. But I don’t remember much after I shot the bloke. I was rushed to hospital and that’s where I woke up. My shoulder was messed up and I couldn’t work for months but I got back into it eventually.”

 

Aaron seemed so blasé about the whole thing; like he wasn’t bothered by what had happened to him at all. He just seemed to accept it as part of his life and Robert found that incredibly hard to understand.

The silence that fell between the two men following Aaron’s explanation seemed to stretch on for a long time as Robert considered what he had heard. The frown on his face showed the uncomfortable sense of confusion he felt about Aaron’s words.

 

Aaron had been watching Robert’s thoughtful face for a while, wondering what was running through his mind.

Robert had been staring into space as he thought but suddenly he tilted his head and locked eyes with Aaron. He seemed to be studying him carefully before he sighed heavily.

“I just don’t get it,” he finally said as he continued to stare at the other man.

“What don’t you get?” Aaron asked.

“I just don’t understand how you can want to do this for a living. How can you be so calm about the fact that everyday you’re putting yourself at risk? Everyday there’s a chance you might get hurt.” Robert sounded almost distressed at the idea and Aaron felt an unusual sense of warmth inside at the thought that he actually cared.

 

Although Aaron took the dangers and consequences of his job in his stride, he could understand why it would seem so bizarre to someone else.

“I try not to spend too long thinking about that. I wouldn’t be able to do my job if I spent all my time worrying about the risks. I’ve been doing this for a while now and, without wanting to sound cocky, I think I’m pretty good at what I do. I’d like to think that I’m experienced enough now to hopefully know how to avoid getting seriously hurt.”

“But it’s still a possibility though, isn’t it?” Robert asked immediately. He didn’t seem willing to let the issue go.

It was Aaron’s turn to frown slightly at Robert’s question. “Yes,” he admitted slowly. “It is a possibility but, like I said, I do my best to avoid it.”

Robert shook his head a little and the frown was still in place. He suddenly seemed very agitated and he stood up from his position on the couch quickly. He grabbed his mug and muttered something about going to the kitchen before he left the room.

 

It took Aaron a moment to process what had just happened, he couldn’t understand Robert’s strange reaction. He pushed himself out of his seat and followed Robert to the kitchen.

When he walked in, he saw Robert leaning back against the counter. Again he seemed lost in thought, chewing on his bottom lip, still frowning.

“Are you alright?” Aaron asked quietly as he approached him.

Robert looked at him seriously. “I just…I just don’t understand why you would want to get hurt, or even killed, for someone you don’t even _like_.”

“It’s not that I _want_ to get hurt, Robert,” Aaron replied carefully. “I just have to accept that as part of my job.” He was beginning to understand why Robert was struggling to deal with the reality of his line of work. Something about Robert’s revelations about his father earlier on in the evening led Aaron to believe that for all of Robert’s apparent confidence, deep down he was actually pretty insecure. “And if you’re worried that I don’t like you, you shouldn’t. I _do_ like you.”

Robert blew out a harsh breath that was close to a bitter laugh. “You like me because I’m paying you.”

He moved to try to walk away, but Aaron stopped him with a firm grip on his arm.

“That’s not true. Do you really think I would have spent the whole evening with you tonight if I didn’t like you?” he asked.

Robert looked down at the strong hand that was wrapped around his bicep. The pressure on his arm was just enough; not enough to hurt, but firm enough to hold him in place. It sent a thrill up his spine. His eyes travelled back up to meet Aaron’s. He wanted to speak, to challenge Aaron in some way but he couldn’t find the right words.

“I like you, Robert,” Aaron said again as though he knew that Robert was struggling to believe him. “I will protect you and I will risk getting hurt for you.  I would die for you if it came to it and not just because you’re paying me.” He seemed to sense that Robert wasn’t going to try to move away from him anymore so he released his arm, letting his own hand fall to his side.

Robert swallowed thickly as he continued to look into Aaron’s eyes. Any thoughts of disagreeing with Aaron had been swept away as he listened to his words. He couldn’t speak; he didn’t know what he would say to follow such a declaration.

“It’s late,” Aaron said softly.

He was struggling to get a grip on his emotions. Hearing that Robert thought he didn’t like him seemed to motivate his mouth to spill out things that should have been kept in his head. It was all true though; he did like Robert and he would die for him if he had to. Even if Robert said he wouldn’t pay him anymore, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to walk away. His feelings towards Robert seemed to have taken a U-turn so suddenly that he could hardly keep up. He’d gone from thinking Robert was completely arrogant and full of his own self-importance, to knowing that a lot of his attitude seemed to be a front for covering up a sweet, at times insecure, individual. This had never happened to him before. He had always managed to keep emotions out of his professional life. He had never cared for any of his other clients the way he did about Robert.

 

Without saying a word, Robert brushed past him gently and Aaron could do nothing else except follow him.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Robert paused and turned to him slowly.

“One more question,” he said quietly.

When Aaron nodded his agreement, Robert leant in ever so slightly. He moved his mouth close to Aaron’s ear and whispered, “What are you afraid of?”

Aaron knew the answer immediately. He wasn’t afraid of heights or spiders or even getting hurt. He was afraid of not being able to protect Robert. He was well aware that if he let himself go and allowed himself to care he might not be able to carry out his duty to his full potential. Showing any emotion was a weakness and highly dangerous, but for some reason, in that moment, he couldn’t seem to find it within himself to care. Ultimately he knew the real answer to the question: he was afraid of Robert and the way he made him feel.

 

As the warmth of Robert’s breath had ghosted across his ear, his eyes had fallen shut. For just a moment, he could imagine that they were just two normal people and that was all it took for his resolve to break. Why should he deny himself what he wanted so badly? He tried to convince himself that everything would be alright. It wouldn’t change his work; he could still protect Robert. Before he had chance to think about what he was doing and talk himself out of it, his hands were twisting in soft blond hair and his lips were crushing desperately against Robert’s.

 

Robert returned the kiss with equal passion. He had been lusting after Aaron for a long time but something had changed that desire over the last few days. It wasn’t that he was just attracted to Aaron physically anymore; he felt like they shared some sort of connection now. He really liked Aaron and it had been a long time since he had felt so comfortable with anyone. Hearing Aaron’s words and understanding the meaning behind them had only solidified Robert’s feelings towards his bodyguard.

His hands reached up to grip the soft material of Aaron’s shirt as he placed his foot on the first step of the staircase. He tugged gently as he began to back up the stairs leading Aaron along.

Aaron moved his hands away from Robert’s hair down his back to keep him steady as they moved slowly up the stairs. _‘Always taking care of me,’_ Robert thought as he smiled into the kiss.

 

After successfully negotiating the staircase, Robert hastily pushed the door of his bedroom open and pulled Aaron inside. There was no break in their kissing as Robert continued to pull Aaron into the room. Aaron barely remembered to kick the door closed as he allowed himself to be drawn along. It seemed like he didn’t want the kiss to end; maybe if it did he’d have enough time to actually think about what he was doing and talk himself out of it. Any rational thoughts that might have crept into his mind were wiped away as he felt Robert’s fingers sliding underneath his jacket, across his shoulders and then pushing the material away. The jacket fell to the floor and Robert’s large hands rested against Aaron’s shoulders once more as he continued to kiss him.

 

Before things could go any further, Robert paused and pulled back, looking a little unsure. He wasn’t looking at Aaron’s face, rather his eyes were locked on something just to the left of his chest.

Aaron followed his gaze, although he already knew what had stopped Robert in his tracks. Resting snugly at Aaron’s side was his gun, secured in his shoulder holster. It had obviously been there all night but Aaron hadn’t removed his jacket and Robert hadn’t even been aware of the concealed weapon.

Although Robert knew he shouldn’t have been surprised that Aaron was armed, the appearance of the gun had caused him to cease his seduction. It was a reminder of the danger he was in every time he left his home and the real reason why Aaron was there with him. Not only that, but Robert had no idea how to remove a gun holster seeing as he’d never undressed someone that carried a gun.

 

Aaron seemed to have read his thoughts as he carefully unclipped the straps of the holster and slipped it off his shoulders. He walked around Robert and placed it on the nightstand before standing in front of him again.

Robert was staring at the weapon that was now deposited beside the bed but, before his thoughts could become too dark, he felt a gentle hand beneath his chin. He allowed his face to be turned away from the weapon back towards Aaron’s intense gaze. Swallowing thickly, he felt his heart begin to race again as Aaron leant in slightly to capture his lips. The gun was forgotten as Robert remembered why he had been so keen to have Aaron in his bedroom.

 

The rest of their clothes seemed to fall away as no more obstacles were encountered and they both ended up just in their underwear and the need to see and feel and taste skin took over.

Robert took a moment to admire Aaron’s perfect form. He silently thanked God that he had been working out for his latest movie role. Not that he thought he could compete with Aaron’s physique but he didn’t want to feel embarrassed by his body. He needn’t have worried. Aaron seemed lost in his own admiration as his eyes wandered over Robert’s exposed flesh.

 

Pushing Aaron back against the bed, Robert straddled his hips and kissed him deeply again. He was amazed that he wasn’t the one on his back, but Aaron seemed to be full of surprises.

Breaking away from his bodyguard’s lips, Robert kissed along his jaw-line and down his neck. Hearing a sharp intake of breath and a low moan from Aaron, Robert knew that he was enjoying himself so he took his time to suck and nip at the smooth flesh. Gradually he moved further down, trailing his tongue across Aaron’s collar bone before blowing gently on the wet skin. He smirked as he watched the goose bumps rise on Aaron’s skin before he continued moving down his body.

Lifting his eyes to see the look on Aaron’s face, Robert found himself growing even harder as he saw the lust in Aaron’s blue eyes. He moved a little further down Aaron’s chest, swiping his tongue across his nipple as he reached down to stroke the hard length between Aaron’s legs through the thin material of his boxers. He was delighted by the moan that escaped Aaron’s lips and he repeated the movement. Aaron’s hips lifted from the bed to meet the pressure as Robert moved his hand firmly a few more times.

Again, Robert paused his actions to look up at Aaron’s face. This time his eyes were closed, his lips parted slightly as he drew in deep breaths. Moving down Aaron’s body, leaving a trail of kisses as he went, he settled himself between Aaron’s legs. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of Aaron’s boxers and carefully eased them down as Aaron lifted his hips.

Aaron’s eyes were open now as he watched Robert’s movements in anticipation. With one last confident look up at his bodyguard, Robert slid his tongue along the underside of Aaron’s dick. The reaction from Aaron was exactly what Robert had hoped for; he moaned lowly and reached down to twist his hands in Robert’s hair. Robert took that as his signal to continue and with Aaron’s hands stroking through his hair, he closed his mouth around Aaron’s cock and sucked firmly. He caressed the skin of Aaron’s inner thighs as his head moved up and down trying to take as much of his length as he could. One hand wrapped around the base of Aaron’s cock as his other hand wandered between stroking the skin of his thighs and smoothing across his chest and stomach. He was rewarded by Aaron’s delighted groans and his hands tugging on his hair more and more with each movement of his head.

 

Robert would have been quite content to bring Aaron to completion like that; he was pretty sure that he could have Aaron hard and ready to go again within minutes. However, his movements were stopped by a gentle hand stroking down his face and resting beneath his chin pulling his head away. For a moment, he wondered if something was wrong but the look of pleasure on Aaron’s face wiped away that concern.

He allowed himself to be pulled back up so that Aaron could kiss him deeply again. He felt strong arms wrap around him and just as he was about to get completely lost in the feeling of being held and kissed by Aaron, he found himself flipped over and pinned on his back. Rolling his eyes slightly and smiling playfully, he knew that he should have realised that having Aaron beneath him wouldn’t last for long.

It seemed that Aaron wasn’t interested in lying back and taking all the pleasure for himself as he began to kiss his way across Robert’s chest and run his fingers down his sides. His fingers deftly slipped under the waistband of Robert’s underwear and helped him to shimmy out of them.

The soft, almost teasing, touches were too much for Robert and he growled lowly as Aaron sucked at the flesh of his neck.

“I want you to fuck me, right now,” he breathed out, his hand holding onto the back of Aaron’s head.

He reached over to his nightstand, ripped open the top drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom.

Aaron pulled back a little and looked at him intently. “Are you sure?” he whispered. He wanted to be inside Robert so much he was aching with it, but he had to know that it was really what Robert wanted too.

A small, gentle smile tugged at Robert’s lips. He leant up to kiss Aaron again before he pulled away slightly. “I’m very sure,” he told him.

Settling on his knees between Robert’s legs, Aaron squeezed plenty of the liquid onto his fingers before leaning down to lick into Robert’s mouth again. Robert tried his best to relax but he still found himself shocked when he felt Aaron’s lubricated finger pushing inside of him.

Taking his time to prepare Robert as best as he could, Aaron moved his finger carefully until he felt Robert shudder slightly beneath him and saw him open his mouth in a silent moan. He added a second finger, gently opening and closing them. It didn’t take long before Robert cried out in pleasure and his hips began to buck up and down as he began fucking himself on Aaron’s fingers.

Aaron couldn’t wait anymore and it didn’t seem like Robert could either. He pulled his fingers away causing a soft moan of disappointment to fall from Robert’s lips. He tore open the condom packet and rolled it onto himself. With the remaining lube on his fingers, he swiped his hand across his length to coat the condom before lifting Robert’s legs and wrapping them around his waist.

Lining himself up, he looked at Robert’s expectant, flushed face once more, before pushing himself forward. He slid into Robert’s body slowly, trying to keep control of himself as he was surrounded by wonderful heat and pressure.

Robert drew in a sharp breath then adjusted himself to the feeling of being filled so completely.

Aaron started moving at a slow pace, driving in and out carefully until he felt Robert squeeze at his arms tightly and moan loudly.

“More, Aaron. Please,” he whispered as he tightened his thighs around Aaron.

Leaning forward, Aaron captured Robert’s lips in a heated kiss before grinding his hips into him harder and faster. Their tongues moved against one another, until Robert wrenched his mouth away and threw his head back against his pillow.

“Fuck, Aaron… _fuck_.”

A string of expletives fell from Robert’s lips as Aaron’s cock brushed against his prostate again and again. The filthy words and moans that came from Robert were pushing Aaron closer to his own orgasm.

“Are you close?” he managed to get out.

“Yes,” Robert moaned. “Fucking hell, _yes_.”

Reaching down, Aaron wrapped his hand around Robert’s dick and began pumping it firmly, loving the way Robert had become a shuddering mess on the bed beneath him.

“Rob... _fuck_ … _Robert_.” Aaron slammed into him.

A tingling heat began to pass through Aaron’s body, he thrust his hips forwards again and again, feeling the familiar sensation building within him, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he felt his orgasm take over. Shaking as it washed over him, he managed to continue moving his hips as he rode it out, hearing Robert reach his own climax loudly a few moments later, shouting his name. Robert was writhing beneath him, one hand wrapped in the sheets on the bed, the other squeezing Aaron’s arm tightly as he shook through his orgasm.

 

For what seemed like a long time, neither of them moved. It seemed strange that it was so quiet in the bedroom just moments after moans and shouts had filled the air. The only sound now was that of the two men breathing heavily trying to calm their racing heartbeats.

 

Eventually Aaron moved, pulling out of Robert carefully and hopping off the bed to discard the condom in the bin in his en-suite. Robert reached for the tissues on the bedside table to clean himself up as he watched Aaron move about.

Although he didn’t want him to, Robert almost thought that Aaron was going to start pulling on his clothes, so he was pleasantly surprised when his bodyguard flopped back onto the bed to lie beside him. Robert shuffled across the bed closing the gap between them and rolled onto his side. He manoeuvred himself so that his head was partly resting on Aaron’s chest and sighed contentedly. Aaron wrapped his arm around Robert’s back and pulled him closer before closing his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time that he felt so exhausted.

 

Before he could drift off to sleep, he heard Robert speaking so softly that he could hardly believe that he was the same person who had been shouting and cursing a few minutes ago.

“I feel so safe here with you, Aaron,” he whispered, his breath ghosting across Aaron’s sensitive flesh.

Aaron didn’t reply; he just tightened his grip around Robert a little, pulling him ever so slightly closer.

 

Robert slipped into sleep quickly, a contented little smile on his face.

Even though he was exhausted, Aaron remained awake for quite a while. His heart jumped a little at the sight of Robert snuggled against him. He hadn’t felt anything like this for a long time but something inside him was making him feel uneasy. He pushed the feeling away, just as he had done earlier in the evening when he had kissed Robert for the first time, and eventually allowed himself to drift off.  


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for the amazing reaction to this fic so far. All of your lovely comments and kudos, both here and on tumblr, have made me so happy! So thank you! Your reaction certainly encouraged me to get the next chapter finished and uploaded more quickly.
> 
> I'm planning for this story to be 9 chapters long so, with that in mind, prepare for some drama.
> 
> I'm snarfettelove on tumblr by the way.

_Aaron opened his eyes and looked at the sleeping figure beside him. It was still dark so he knew they had plenty of time left in bed together. Very gently, he stroked a few stray hairs away from Robert’s forehead and then kissed him lightly on top of his head. Closing his eyes he drifted back off to sleep. He was so exhausted after his night with Robert that he didn’t think anything would disturb him again until morning._

_He was wrong. His sleep was interrupted by the feeling of movement beside him. As his eyes fluttered open, he realised that Robert was gone. He rubbed his eyes lethargically and pushed himself up into a sitting position._

_That was when he saw the most awful thing he had ever seen._

_There was a man, his face hidden by shadows, standing at the foot of the bed. He had a gun in his hand. Held tightly against his chest, with a terrified expression on his face, was Robert._

_“Aaron…help me, please,” Robert cried out in fear._

_The man moved the gun to point it at Robert’s cheek._

_“You can’t save him like this,” he growled._

_Aaron scrabbled in the bed, turning to the nightstand where he knew he had put his gun last night. It wasn’t there. He searched around for it but it was nowhere to be seen._

_The man laughed cruelly. “You can’t save him like this,” he repeated._

_Aaron tried to climb out of the bed but he couldn’t move. The sheets were twisted around him stopping him from leaving. He struggled wildly with the covers._

_“Robert!” he called as he reached out his hands towards him._

_Robert was terrified. His eyes were wide, his skin pale as he struggled against the man’s hold._

_“You said you’d protect me. You said you’d die for me. How can you just leave me like this?” he screamed._

_The man moved his gun and pointed it at Aaron._

_“You can’t save him like this,” he said again._

_Aaron wanted to scream in frustration. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He knew that he could protect Robert; he knew he could save him._

_There was silence for a moment as he continued to fight against the sheets and then suddenly a deafening bang._

_Aaron felt the burning pain as the bullet tore his flesh open. He looked down and saw the blood pouring from his chest. Still he struggled to climb out of the bed but it was useless._

_He wasn’t going to give up. Even as the man began to drag Robert away, he still fought to get up. Even as the blood rushed from him and stained the bedding, he still fought to save Robert._

_“How could you let this happen?” Robert was screaming at him. “I trusted you! Why won’t you save me? Help me, Aaron! Save me!”_

_Aaron was shouting Robert’s name as he tried in vain to get to him. He watched as the man dragged Robert out of his sight._

_“No!” he screamed. “No!”_

Aaron’s eyes snapped open. He immediately looked at Robert, fast asleep beside him. Then he looked over to the nightstand. His gun was there just as he had left it last night.

His heart was thundering in his chest and he sank back against the pillow and tried to calm down. It was just a nightmare. A terrible nightmare that had picked at the things that he feared the most. He ran his hands down his face and blew out a long, tired sigh. His mind was trying to remind him what he was supposed to be doing here. He wasn’t meant to be sleeping with his client and falling for him more and more each day. He was meant to be _protecting_ him.

 

He had to admit to himself that he had been an idiot and totally unprofessional. How could he have allowed himself to get so emotionally involved? That was like rule number one of his own personal code and he had broken it. He didn’t even _have_ a rule about not sleeping with his client – it was so far off the scale of professional conduct that he’d never even considered it before.

He liked Robert, he really did, and in another time or place he thought that they would be good together, but right now that couldn’t be. He couldn’t protect Robert _and_ be sleeping with him. His nightmare had been a shocking reminder of that. There was no way that he could guarantee that his mind would be truly focused on keeping Robert alive if they were involved in a physical and emotional relationship. He couldn’t be selfish. Just because he had enjoyed sleeping with Robert last night, that didn’t mean that he was willing to put him at risk just for sex.

 

Aaron looked at Robert sadly. How the hell was he supposed to explain this? He knew how it was going to seem; like he had used Robert for a one-off and now he was ditching him. That wasn’t it at all though. It was the opposite of that. If Aaron could have his way, he would wrap Robert in his arms when he woke up, keep him safe and never let him go, but he couldn’t do that. He shook his head angrily at his own thoughts. He didn’t want to hurt Robert but he knew that whatever he said was probably going to do just that. He just hoped that he could explain well enough to make Robert understand why he was doing this.

 

***

 

Aaron was out of bed pulling on his shirt when Robert stirred from his sleep. Blinking sleepily a few times as he came round, he smiled brightly when he saw Aaron standing beside the bed. Memories of the previous evening rushed back to him and he felt blissfully happy as he leaned his head on his hand.

“Morning,” he said as he stifled a yawn. “I see you’re sticking with your routine of getting up early.”

 

Aaron didn’t reply, he just smiled weakly as he finished buttoning up his shirt. Robert didn’t seem to notice. He seemed quite lost in remembering the events of the night before. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out for breakfast this morning,” he asked lazily.

Aaron looked at him sharply. He had to stop this now before it went any further.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he replied.

Finally, Robert seemed to realise that something wasn’t quite right. He looked at Aaron worriedly.

“Is everything alright, Aaron?” he asked anxiously.

Aaron swallowed thickly.

“Look, Robert…last night…it shouldn’t have happened.”

Robert’s eyes widened a little and he pushed himself into a sitting position, the duvet gathered around his waist.

“What are you talking about?”

“I shouldn’t have slept with you. I’m your bodyguard and I can’t have that kind of relationship with you,” Aaron tried to explain.

“That didn’t stop you last night,” Robert immediately replied. “I don’t see why it matters.”

Aaron sighed heavily. “I can’t keep you safe if I’m sleeping with you. I have to focus on what I’m doing. I can’t afford to be distracted.”

“Oh, so I’m a distraction,” Robert said sounding offended. “You didn’t seem to mind being _distracted_ last night. You can’t pretend that you didn’t enjoy it because I know you did.”

Aaron wasn’t going to lie. He _had_ enjoyed himself but he couldn’t admit that and allow Robert to continue thinking that there was a chance for them.

“Last night…” he began, then took a deep breath as he forced himself to continue. “Last night was a mistake.”

He watched as Robert looked completely crushed. His face took on an expression as though he had been slapped.

“A _mistake_?” he whispered, as he shook his head slightly.

Aaron took a step closer towards the bed. He wanted to comfort Robert, tell him that he didn’t mean what he’d said. He wanted nothing more than to climb back into Robert’s bed and pull him close, but he knew he couldn’t. He had to be strong and fight his desire to be with Robert.

Robert looked at him sharply. The shock was still there on his face, he looked upset but he clenched his jaw angrily.

“You absolute bastard,” he ground out. “Get the fuck out.”

“Robert…” Aaron started, but he was cut off immediately.

“Don’t even talk to me, Aaron. You’ve had your fun. I’m sure you and your mates will have a right laugh about how easy it was to get me into bed. You got what you wanted; now get out.”

Aaron didn’t move straight away. He felt fixed to the spot under Robert’s hateful glare and he so badly wanted to tell Robert that he was wrong. It wasn’t like that, at all. He could see beyond the anger on Robert’s face; he was sure he could see tears in his eyes.

“I said, get the _fuck_ out!” Robert shouted. His voice cracked a little as he yelled but he refused to let Aaron see him upset.

 

Aaron grabbed his holster from the nightstand, picked his jacket up from the floor and walked to the door. Pausing for a moment before he opened it, he glanced back at Robert who was staring at the wall. There was nothing he could say now to make him feel better. Quietly, he opened the door and walked out.

 

***      

It had been two days since Aaron had seen Robert. Two days that he had spent in absolute turmoil about what had happened. Of course, he kept his emotions well hidden under a professional mask but inside he was constantly berating himself for being so stupid and allowing himself to give in to his desires. It had been nearly impossible for him to control his feelings when Robert had finally appeared after two days of being shut away in his room and the fact that Robert had completely blanked him hadn’t helped.

 

For two days Robert had hardly left his bedroom. He had demanded that Finn called the movie director and told him he was sick and couldn’t possibly go to the set. Finn had no idea what had caused Robert to have such a meltdown but he had no choice but to comply with his wishes.

 

After two days, Vic had had enough and barged into Robert’s room demanding to know what was going on. It was a long time before she emerged again but when she finally did, it seemed that Robert had told her the full story because, instead of the usual friendly smile, she gave Aaron a look of scorn as she passed him on her way out.

 

The following morning, Robert had been up and ready to go back to the set of the movie.

Aaron was standing beside the car waiting as Robert approached. He braced himself for some scathing comment or at least a disdainful look but he received nothing. Robert didn’t even acknowledge his presence; it was like he was invisible. Somehow that seemed to sting more than anything else he had been expecting.

 

The next few days seemed to drag by slowly. Robert continued to ignore Aaron and pretend that he wasn’t even there. Aaron had hoped that after Robert had cooled down a little they might be able to talk about what had happened and he might get the opportunity to explain his actions but there didn’t seem to be any chance of that. He found himself constantly glancing at Robert hoping that he might catch him looking his way so that they could at least make some form of contact, but Robert’s eyes never seemed to be looking in his direction.

 

Meanwhile, Robert was finding it incredibly hard to keep up his façade of not caring. After he had revealed the cause of his misery to a persistent Vic, his sister had urged him to try to continue as normal.

“ _Do you really want him to see that he’s hurt you? You’ve got to act like he means nothing to you. You can’t let him think you’re sitting up here pining after him like some love-struck teenager…”_ Vic’s words were constantly running through Robert’s mind and they helped to strengthen his resolve to keep ignoring Aaron.

 

Robert was actually pretty proud of himself. He was sure that he would break as soon as he was near his bodyguard but so far he was managing to keep up Vic’s plan. Deep down, he desperately wanted to stare at Aaron and try to see if he looked like he was suffering at all after what had happened. He wanted to have some form of contact just to discover once and for all if Aaron actually was a heartless bastard or if there was something more that he needed to understand. However, he knew that if he acknowledged Aaron, his barriers would break and he was determined not to let that happen.  

 

***

Robert had been so consumed with his trouble with Aaron that the problem of his stalker had been pushed to the back of his mind. When Finn presented him with a new letter he was actually rather surprised and he ripped the folded paper open irritably.

 

Finn had been debating whether or not to show Robert the letter. Although he didn’t know exactly what was going on, he was well aware that Robert was not in the best of moods and he was worried that the latest letter might push him over the edge.  However, Robert had made him promise that he wouldn’t keep anything to do with his stalker from him again and he really didn’t want to get on the wrong side of the actor in his current mood.

 

Finn had shown the letter to Aaron first and now the two of them were standing watching as Robert’s eyes scanned the vicious words on the page. His jaw clenched as he read the letter. Words like ‘ _slut_ ’ and comments like ‘ _you have to learn that you cannot behave that way’_ seemed to jump off the page and strike a physical blow against Robert. Angrily, he screwed the letter up and threw it across the room.

Without thinking about it, Aaron asked simply, “Are you alright, Robert?”

For the first time in days, Robert actually looked at Aaron. His eyes snapped up to glare at his bodyguard with such ferocity that Aaron almost wished he was back to being ignored.

“Why the fuck do you care?” he shouted. “Do you honestly think that there’s any minute chance that I’m alright? I’m sick of all this shit. I’m sick of living like this. I’m sick of getting fucked up letters telling me what a slut I am and how I deserve to die. I’ve had _enough_!”

With that, he leant against the breakfast bar and hung his head for a moment. He was breathing deeply as though he was trying to calm himself down.

Before Aaron or Finn could comment after his outburst, he was standing up straight again with a determined look on his face.

“I think I need to have a little fun to try to forget about all this shit. I want to have a party.”

 

If Aaron wasn’t so good at controlling his reactions his mouth probably would have flapped open in shock. He couldn’t believe that Robert had gone from screaming and shouting one moment to wanting to have a party the next. He was pretty sure that it was some form of defence mechanism against what was happening, but he was also sure that it wasn’t a good idea.

“I’m sorry,” he said after the shock had subsided. “But I really don’t think that a party is a good idea. It’s a very unstable environment; there are a lot of variables involved and your security would be hard to guarantee.”

The smile that Robert directed at him was dripping with sarcasm.

“As much as I’m sure we all value your opinion, you can shove it. I’m having a party whether you like it or not. You don’t have to come after all.”

Aaron didn’t reply and he didn’t rise to Robert’s comments. He knew there was no point. There would be no persuading Robert to reconsider his plan and he knew that the fact that he was against the idea would only make Robert more determined to stage the event.

 

***

The party went ahead as Aaron knew it would. There had been various party organisers and caterers crawling all over the house for days and Aaron was on the verge of tearing his hair out trying to keep track of them all. He was pretty sure that Robert kept arranging for new people to turn up just to stress him out, but he was doing his best to keep his cool. It was of the utmost importance for Aaron to know exactly who was coming in and out of the house and who would be present at the party so he could monitor Robert’s security tightly. A party was probably one of his most dreaded scenarios; the possibilities for problems were endless.

 

The whole ground floor of Robert’s house seemed to be full of people. Robert mingled with his guests like the perfect host and Aaron kept him constantly in view as he moved around. Although he knew there were a lot of potential dangers with such a vast amount of people present at the house, Aaron didn’t want to crowd Robert. He was back to receiving the silent treatment after Robert’s outburst at him a few days ago and he knew that it probably wasn’t a good idea to be one step behind the actor in the current situation. Besides, Aaron was constantly assessing the party, he had his eyes on Robert the whole time and he made sure that he was close enough if he was needed.

 

The party had been in full swing for a few hours and as far as Aaron was concerned it was all going smoothly. As soon as Robert had insisted on throwing the party at his home, Aaron had contacted Adam and requested his assistance. He wasn’t above asking his best friend for help in this situation, knowing that it was completely impossible for him to cover every aspect of security in such a scenario. In order to ensure that only those who had been invited were allowed to enter Robert’s property, Aaron had positioned well-trained security guards from an agency at the main gate and asked Adam to monitor the front door of the house. With the guests being monitored by two security checks, Aaron was free to keep his eye on Robert.

 

Robert hadn’t spoken to Aaron after he had yelled at him but he hadn’t managed to keep up the act of pretending that he wasn’t even there. Every so often, his eyes would drift over to where Aaron was standing. On many of these occasions, Aaron was scanning the crowd, constantly assessing who was there and what they were doing, before his eyes would suddenly turn back to check on Robert. Each time their eyes met, Robert would look away sharply and curse himself for being caught staring.

 

Robert was sick of the situation that they seemed to have got stuck in; he was ignoring Aaron, trying to send him a message, and Aaron seemed to be totally unaffected. At first, he had been pleased to find that Aaron seemed a little hurt by being blanked, but now things were back to how they had been when Aaron first started working with him. Aaron wore a stoic expression and continued as though nothing had happened.

Robert decided he’d had enough. It was time to change tactics. He was still angry and hurt by what had happened and he wanted to get some sort of reaction out of Aaron.

 

Moving through the crowd of people, stopping every so often for a quick chat, Robert found the perfect way of getting back at Aaron. His eyes landed on Chrissie White, someone he was already intimately acquainted with, standing talking with her friends and he made his way over to them.

Checking that Aaron had followed and was standing nearby able to see everything, Robert immediately jumped into their conversation. Within minutes he had the full attention of Chrissie as he flirted with her. She seemed totally on-board with Robert’s flirtations and soaked up the attention willingly. Robert kept getting her drinks and eventually the two of them separated from the small group and made their way towards the kitchen.

Aaron followed the pair of them, all the while trying to hide his annoyance. He was struggling to keep his face blank as he watched Robert touch the attractive woman lightly on the arm or lean closer as he laughed at her comments.

Looking on in frustration, he actually found himself clenching his fists as Robert leant in to whisper something in her ear. The woman looked at Robert with a raised eyebrow and a cheeky smile on her face as Robert grabbed her hand and led her out of the kitchen.

Aaron couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Surely Robert was just doing this to provoke some sort of reaction from him. It _was_ provoking a reaction, but it wasn’t like he could actually do anything about it.

 

Again Aaron followed them but this time he was grateful to see that they had stopped at the bottom of the stairs where Finn was holding an animated conversation with several people. He moved a little closer to the group and tried to calm the annoyance that was threatening to erupt from within him.

Again Robert was laughing brightly but his laughter trailed off as he saw Aaron standing watching him. He tugged the woman’s hand and made his way up the first few steps before he turned around and smiled at Aaron sarcastically.

“I’m going to give Chrissie the full tour and I think we can manage perfectly well without your presence,” he said icily, before he flashed a cheeky smile at his companion and dragged her up the stairs, the pair of them staggering and giggling all the way.

Finn walked up to him and clapped him soundly on the back.

“Looks like you’ve got some time off,” he laughed as he gestured up the stairs. “That’s Chrissie White, Rebecca’s sister. She’s an actress too, known Robert for years. She and Robert have this sort of love-hate thing going on. He’ll be upstairs for a while if you get what I mean, so why don’t you get yourself a drink and relax for a while?”

Aaron was still staring up the stairs at the spot where he had last seen Robert. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. What was worse though was the fact that he was so _jealous_. He was half-tempted to run up the stairs and pull Robert away from Chrissie. He didn’t want anyone else touching Robert or being so close to him. He was grinding his teeth and clenching his fists as Finn’s words filtered through to his jealousy-fogged mind. He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he finally managed to tear his eyes away from the top of the stairs.

He cleared his throat before he spoke.  “Actually…I’m not feeling too good. If I’m not needed here anymore, do you think Pete could manage for the rest of the evening?”

Finn looked surprised. Aaron had never once asked to be excused from his duties so he assumed he must have been feeling really ill.

“Sure thing,” he said kindly. “Go get some rest. I hope you’re feeling better soon.”

“Thanks, Finn. I’ll only be in the pool house if you need me,” Aaron replied as he turned and made his way through the crowds of people to the nearest exit.

 

As soon as he stepped out of the house into the garden, Aaron drew in a deep breath. He had to calm down. Robert’s flirtations with Chrissie had left him fuming and struggling to retain his usual composed manner. Deep down, he was pretty sure that Robert was just doing it to get back at him but the thought that he was upstairs now fucking that woman was like torture. How could he do that? Aaron could hardly bear to think about it. It made him furious and hurt him all at the same time.

Aaron glanced up at the balcony of Robert’s bedroom and stared at the window. He wasn’t sure what he expected to see. After a long moment, he shook his head sadly and turned away. He moved away from the house, leaving the noise behind him, and made his way across the garden towards the pool house. Maybe some time pummelling his punching bag would relieve some of the tension he felt.

As he neared his temporary home, he heard excited barking coming from within. When he opened the door, Robert’s dog came barrelling out and ran around him in circles, jumping up at him every so often for a pat on the head.

Aaron smiled slightly as he watched the dog’s antics.

“I forgot you’d been locked in here,” he said as he ruffled the dog’s ears. “Trust me, you’re not missing much at the party.”

The dog continued jumping up at Aaron, grateful to have some company after being shut away in the pool house to avoid getting trampled at the party. His tail was beating from side-to-side quickly as he trotted after Aaron.

“I think you like me a lot more than your owner does right now,” Aaron told him as he entered his home. That thought made his mind wander back to what Robert was doing upstairs at that moment and his mood immediately darkened again. Sighing heavily, he felt his shoulders slump slightly as he pushed the door closed behind him and tried to forget about the party.

 

***

 

Robert had felt Aaron’s eyes burning into his back as he had wandered up the stairs with Chrissie. He was glad that his antics were having an impact on his bodyguard. He wanted to send him a message; he wasn’t going to be moping around after him and he certainly didn’t _need_ him. That was what he kept telling himself but deep down he was finding it hard to convince himself.

 

As he had reached the top of the stairs, Robert had directed Chrissie towards one of the guest rooms along the hall from his own bedroom. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Robert guided her to the bed and left her to lie down.

Chrissie was completely drunk and clearly in no fit state to do anything other than sleep off the alcohol.

Robert was more than a little grateful that nothing was going to happen as he watched her sprawled out on the bed, with her mouth open, breathing deeply. She’d probably be embarrassed in the morning, but they’d both seen each other in worse states over the years that they’d known one another. He didn’t really want anything to happen with Chrissie; he only wanted Aaron to _think_ that something was happening. He wanted Aaron to be jealous; he wanted to hurt him.

Moving away from the sleeping figure on the bed, Robert wandered to the window to look out across the garden. He needed to wait a while before he went back down to the party if Aaron was going to be convinced that he’d been shagging Chrissie.

Peering out of the window, he was stunned to see Aaron outside. He watched as his bodyguard looked up in the direction of his bedroom window. Aaron seemed to gaze up at it longingly before tearing his eyes away and moving towards the pool house. Robert couldn’t understand what he was doing. Why wasn’t Aaron waiting patiently for him at the bottom of the stairs? He had never known Aaron to leave his post while there was any possibility of Robert needing him.

He continued watching as Aaron made his way to the pool house and opened the door. He raised his eyebrows as Loki greeted Aaron excitedly and found himself smiling sadly as he watched Aaron stroke the dog and then allow the pooch to follow him into the pool house.

As the door closed behind Aaron, finally blocking him from view, Robert wondered why he had left the party. Something must have been wrong. Then he suddenly realised. It must have been because of what he had done.

When he had first started flirting with Chrissie earlier on in the evening, his goal had been to cause Aaron to suffer. He would have thought that seeing Aaron disappearing into the pool house so dejectedly would have caused him to feel some sense of achievement, but he felt nothing but disappointment and sadness. This wasn’t really what he wanted at all but there was no way that he was going to make the first move to heal their broken relationship. Aaron had hurt him and he was too proud to admit how he really felt. Sighing heavily, he moved away from the window and went back to the party to try to take his mind off his problems.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I just have to say a big thank you for all the lovely feedback. You guys are the best!
> 
> Drama ahead...

Unsurprisingly, Robert had spent the rest of the party drinking heavily. He was totally hammered by the time his guests had all left and hadn’t emerged from his room until the afternoon. When he eventually did, he was suffering a terrible hangover and was only motivated to move by his need for a strong coffee.

 

He made his way to the kitchen and managed to hold a basic conversation with Finn while he made his drink and then he was left alone as his manager disappeared.

As he sat down at the breakfast bar, Aaron walked into the kitchen. He stopped abruptly when he saw Robert. His eyes looked Robert up and down critically before he turned to walk away again.

Irritated by Aaron’s reaction, Robert just couldn’t hold in the comment that fell from his lips.

“Have you got a problem?” he snapped.

Aaron spun round immediately and narrowed his eyes at Robert. He glared at him angrily but managed to hold back his retort.

“It looks like you’ve got something you want to say,” Robert continued as he matched Aaron’s bitter stare.

“I don’t think you really want to know what I think of you right now,” Aaron replied coldly.

Robert was furious as he pushed himself up from his seat. He was still suffering with his hangover but he wasn’t about to let Aaron talk to him like that.

“Don’t you _dare_ judge me. You’re in no position to take the fucking moral high ground.” He was jabbing his finger at Aaron angrily as he yelled at him.

Aaron’s jaw clenched at Robert’s words. He knew he had to walk away from the conversation before things went too far. He turned his back on Robert and began to walk out of the kitchen.

“Don’t walk away from me!” Robert shouted angrily. “I hope you realise that you’re the one who fucked everything up.”

Aaron turned around again and fixed Robert with another angry look.

“I didn’t tell you to go and fuck any random person you could find.”

His voice came out almost like a growl and he knew that he’d had the last word when he saw the stunned, hurt look on Robert’s face. Again he turned around and this time he managed to stalk out of the kitchen without being stopped.

 

Things went back to how they had been before the party.

Robert wasn’t speaking to Aaron, but this time Aaron wasn’t bothered about being ignored. He didn’t exactly want to talk to Robert anyway.

Acting completely indifferently around Robert was relatively easy; he had been doing it for months before this whole mess had begun so he just reverted back to what he did best. He was trying to convince himself that what had happened with Robert had just been a serious error in judgement and he didn’t care about him at all. As much as he tried to persuade himself of that, deep down he knew he was just lying to himself. He decided that the only way to get through this mess was to act professionally and not allow Robert to get under his skin anymore.

 

***

Days had dragged by since Robert’s party. Aaron had settled, somewhat uneasily, into a routine of accompanying Robert at all times without actually having to communicate all that much with him.

At first, he had been sure that the situation wouldn’t work. He didn’t see how it was possible to protect Robert without actually having that much interaction with him. Despite that, he had refused to just walk away from his job. Whatever else had gone on between them, Robert’s life was still at risk and Aaron was still a professional who was determined to do his job.

It seemed that Aaron needn’t have worried all that much; things were working out surprisingly well. As much as he wasn’t happy with the situation that he and Robert were in, he knew he had to work around that now and try to push it to the back of his mind. He had told Robert that he couldn’t afford any distractions and he meant it.

There were brief moments when Aaron was actually able to completely forget his troubles with Robert but something would always bring it back to the forefront of his mind. Usually it was some snide comment from Robert or a scathing look sent in his direction. However, sometimes it was something completely unexpected that would cause everything to be dragged back up.

 

Aaron was just leaving the house through the front door when Vic walked in. Obviously, Vic had listened to Robert’s explanation of what had happened and completely sided with him. As such, her usual friendly manner had been replaced by her joining Robert in ignoring Aaron. Aaron didn’t have any problem with Vic and had always been polite to her even though he hadn’t received anything in response for weeks.

“Morning,” he greeted Vic with a nod of his head, as she entered the house.

Vic scowled at him slightly before brushing past him.

As she moved away, Aaron caught the word ‘arsehole’ muttered under Vic’s breath.

“Excuse me?” he said as he turned round to look at her.

Vic stopped in her tracks and spun round to face him.

“I’m sorry. Didn’t you hear me? I called you an arsehole,” she said sarcastically.

Aaron could hardly believe it. Vic always seemed like a cheerful, easy-going girl who understood what a diva Robert could be and here she was joining in with the ‘have-a-go-at-Aaron’ club.

“What the hell is _your_ problem?” Aaron asked angrily.

“My problem?” Vic echoed. “ _My_ problem is the way you’ve treated my brother. When you first came to work here, I actually felt _sorry_ for you. I thought, ‘God that poor bloke has got to follow Robert around constantly and put up with his every tantrum and mood swing’. I know what Robert’s like. I know he can be hard work sometimes, but he’s my brother and I know that he’s actually a good person. I thought that after a while you might see that too, but all you’ve done is treat him like shit and let him down just like so many other people before you have.”

Aaron was a little taken aback by Vic’s words but he wanted to know more.

“What are you talking about?”

Vic looked almost sad as she spoke again. “He’s been through so many shitty things in his life. So many people have betrayed him and let him down and I actually thought you might be different. He obviously thought that too because he _trusted_ you. He confided in you and let you get close to him and then you just pushed him away like it didn’t even matter. He doesn’t deserve to get treated like that. He doesn’t deserve people hurting him.”

Vic turned around as if she was going to walk away but Aaron quickly moved in front of her. “What do you mean? Who let him down?”

Vic shook her head angrily. “His fucking dickhead ex-boyfriend who sold his story to the press, one of his ‘best’ friends since school who was leaking his every move to the paparazzi, the people who’ve hung around with him just to be seen; there’s plenty more if you want me to continue. There’s no wonder he keeps people at arm’s length and pretends to be this heartless, obnoxious arse. There’s no wonder he doesn’t open up to anyone. But then he did, for the first time in ages. He actually thought he could talk to you and tell you those things that he keeps so close to his heart all the time. He trusted you and you betrayed him. So you wanted to know what my problem is, well that’s it.”

Without saying anything else, Vic moved around Aaron and disappeared into the kitchen.

Aaron remained where he was for a while. He felt almost frozen in place by what he had heard. He had no idea about any of the things that Robert had been through and how people in his past had let him down. How could he have known? He had never given Robert the chance to tell him.  

Just as he thought that he was managing to get some control over his feelings, Vic had flipped everything round again and made him wonder if he really had done the right thing that morning when he told Robert that sleeping with him had been a mistake.  

 

***  

Following Vic’s outburst, Aaron found it harder to be unaffected by Robert. He found himself constantly thinking about Vic’s words and he often ended up staring at Robert as he tried to wrap his head around what he had learnt.

It had never been his intention to hurt Robert or let him down. Things had just slipped out of his control and got too complicated. He had known how much Robert’s past experiences with his father had affected him, but he’d had no idea about the other people that had caused him so much hurt.

Aaron maintained that he couldn’t protect Robert and be involved with him, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up the front that he didn’t care. He was beginning to question whether he could continue this job at all. He wasn’t a quitter and he had never walked away from a client whilst he thought their life was still in danger, but he couldn’t help but think that he was too busy worrying about Robert’s personal life to be completely focused on _saving_ his life.

If things didn’t improve soon, he knew he would have to seriously think about walking away.

 

***

Regardless of Robert and Aaron’s problems, everything else continued as normal. Robert finished working on his movie and had decided to take a few weeks off to completely unwind before he had to start promoting his latest blockbuster.

Several more letters arrived, which concerned Aaron as the frequency of the messages was increasing.

Robert read each one wearily before he handed them back to Finn without a word and wandered away. He didn’t seem to be freaked out by the letters anymore; he just seemed tired. It was like Robert had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He wasn’t happy, that much was obvious, but he just looked so exhausted and disheartened by everything.

When Robert announced that he wanted to take a little trip to Las Vegas to get away from everything, Aaron immediately thought it was a bad idea but a small part of him thought that maybe it was exactly what Robert needed. As much as he knew it would be a nightmare to keep any sort of control on Robert in such an environment, he also knew that the actor needed a break and a chance to let his hair down.    

Just over two weeks later Robert, Finn and Aaron were occupying the penthouse suite in a ludicrously expensive hotel in Las Vegas. Rebecca had flown in to join them much to Aaron’s irritation. He knew that Robert would be more likely to get into trouble if his friend was there.

Aaron had already made one trip to the hotel to assess its suitability and security. He had met with the manager to discuss the situation and felt reasonably confident that it would be a safe place for Robert to stay. Being ‘reasonably confident’ wasn’t exactly what Aaron would normally accept but Robert was so adamant that they were staying in that hotel that he would have to settle for that.

A few days into the trip, Robert actually seemed to be enjoying himself. He was obviously relaxing and getting back to his usual self. He was even aiming nasty comments at Aaron again, so things must have been getting back to normal. Aaron was doing his best not to react to Robert’s bitching, but it was pretty difficult.

When he’d had enough and needed a break from the snide remarks, he turned to Finn and told him he was going to check that the exit routes were clear. On his initial visit to the hotel, he had devised several routes in and out of the building seeing as he was well aware that you never knew when you’d have to make an emergency exit. He checked that these routes were clear several times a day, as well as checking that the security on the main doors were where they should be. He had requested a security guard to be present outside the door to the suite twenty-four hours a day and he knew that whilst he was checking on security downstairs there was always someone on guard. He had also told Finn that under no circumstances was Robert to leave the suite without him and if he tried to sneak out Finn had to contact Aaron immediately. He was quietly confident that Robert would be safe.

 

When Aaron returned from checking the exits and yelling at the security guards at the main entrance to the building for not checking who was coming in and out of the hotel, he found that the security guard on the door to the suite wasn’t in his post. “How fucking hard is it to stand outside a door?” he muttered to himself angrily as he let himself into the suite.

He was planning to call down to reception immediately and find out where the man was, but he was distracted by how remarkably quiet the suite was. He called out as he checked Robert’s bedroom quickly before walking back through to the living area.

Eventually, Finn appeared through the sliding glass door that led onto the massive balcony area.

“What’s up?” he asked as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

“Where’s Robert?” Aaron asked immediately.

Finn’s face fell slightly. “What do you mean? Isn’t he in his room?”

Aaron’s jaw was clenched as he stared at Finn. “No, he’s not and the guard on the door is gone.”

Aaron ran to check the other rooms in the suite as he called back over his shoulder to Finn. “When did you last see him?”

The panic was written all over Finn’s face. “I…um…I went outside for some fresh air while I made some calls. Robert and Rebecca were in here watching the TV.”

“Call him, now,” Aaron commanded. “How long were you on the balcony?” he asked as he ran past him towards the living area of the suite.

“I’ve been out there for ages. I was on the phone. I didn’t see or hear them leave,” Finn replied as he held his phone up to his ear. After a few seconds, he shook his head despairingly as he got no response.

Meanwhile, Aaron was speaking rapidly into the phone in the suite as he quizzed the receptionist about where the security guard on the door was. After a brief pause he slammed the phone down shouting, “Shit!” in frustration. “I can’t believe he could be so fucking stupid again.”

“What?” Finn asked desperately. “What’s happened?”

Aaron shook his head angrily. “The woman on reception said that ‘Mr Sugden’ told the bloke on the door that he wasn’t needed and he could leave. I can’t believe he’d put himself in danger like this again.” He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, completely messing it up. “Right, you call down to reception and ask them if they saw him leave. Then stay here in case they come back. Keep calling him. Call me if you hear from him or you find anything out.”

Aaron tore out of the room and disappeared as Finn immediately picked up the phone.

  

***

 

Finn had been pacing across the suite for what felt like an eternity with his cell phone pressed to his ear. He hadn’t managed to reach Robert and hadn’t heard anything from Aaron. He was about to start tearing his hair out in panic when the door to the suite flew open and Aaron burst in.

“Have you heard anything?” Aaron asked before Finn could speak.

Finn’s eyes were wide. “No, no, I haven’t been able to get through to him. He’s not answering and neither is Rebecca.”

It was obvious that Aaron was formulating a plan of action. He was completely silent for a long moment as he stared across the room.

“I’m going back out to look for him,” he announced suddenly.

As he turned to leave again, the door of the suite opened and Robert and Rebecca wandered in, laughing brightly. They casually walked straight past Aaron who stood watching them in stunned silence.

It was Finn that erupted, his anger and stress finally taking over.

“Where the _fuck_ have you been?” he yelled.

Coming to an immediate stop, Robert and Rebecca both stared at him in surprise. Neither of them had ever heard Finn sound so furious.

“Calm down, Finn,” Robert answered. “We just went for a walk to get some fresh air and called in at a couple of places along the way.”

“You went out without Aaron. Do you realise the danger you’ve put yourself in today?” Finn scolded him.

Casting a quick disparaging look over his shoulder at Aaron, Robert replied simply, “I’m back in one piece, aren’t I?”

“That’s _not_ the point,” Finn said in frustration. “Aaron’s been all over looking for you. Anything could have happened.”

“Jesus Christ, I think you need to relax,” Robert laughed easily.

He was enjoying the fact that he had caused so much trouble but he had noticed that Aaron hadn’t actually said anything and the whole reason he had snuck out in the first place was to irritate his bodyguard. “It’s not like anything happened. I’m starting to think that I don’t actually _need_ Aaron at all.”

Smiling sarcastically at Aaron, he started walking towards his bedroom.

“I’m going for a shower and a lie down,” he announced as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

Rebecca disappeared out of the suite door immediately afterwards; she could feel the tension in the suite and she didn’t want to be around when it boiled over.

 

Aaron was staring at the closed door to Robert’s bedroom; he hadn’t moved or spoken. As he had listened to the exchange between Finn and Robert he had come to the conclusion that Robert was wilfully putting himself in danger just to spite him and he couldn’t allow that to continue. Besides, he wasn’t sure how much more crap he could take from Robert before he punched him, or worse.

Finn looked at him warily for a moment. “Aaron…” he began, but he was cut off immediately.

“Save it, Finn,” Aaron said firmly. “I’m done.”

“What do you mean you’re ‘done’?” Finn asked in panic.

“I mean, I’ve had enough of this shit. I can’t be held responsible for his safety if he’s not willing to co-operate with me. If he wants to get himself killed then I can’t save him. I’ll work out my notice and help you find someone else but I’m done. I quit.”

“You can’t quit,” Finn told him desperately as Aaron began walking towards the door to the suite. “Robert needs you.”

Aaron spun round quickly. “No, he doesn’t _need_ me. He just said so himself.” He shook his head as he turned away again to walk out.

As his hand landed on the door handle, he heard a cry of terror from Robert’s room. Without a moment’s hesitation, he was sprinting across the suite towards the bedroom, his gun was already in his hand. Pushing the door open quickly, he rushed into the room.

 

***

Robert had been smirking to himself as he wandered off to his bedroom. His plan to wind Aaron up had clearly succeeded; Aaron had been so pissed off that he didn’t even have the words to yell at Robert for being stupid.

Of course Robert knew his little stunt had been stupid. He knew the danger he had put himself in but he just couldn’t resist the temptation to get under Aaron’s skin. Besides nothing had actually happened to him. Maybe the heightened security was a bit over the top. If he could manage to go out on his own like that, maybe he didn’t need a bodyguard after all.

As he wandered to his bathroom, he wondered what Aaron was saying to Finn outside. He wondered how much Aaron would put up with before he snapped. Flicking the light on as he walked into the bathroom, he glanced up at the large mirror. There was no stopping the scream that left him as he fell back in horror. He backed out of the bathroom and kept walking backwards, his eyes fixed on the doorway, until his legs hit the edge of his bed and he slumped back onto it.   

The bedroom door flew open startling Robert and finally taking his focus away from the bathroom.

There was Aaron, gun in hand, ready to face whatever was inside. His eyes immediately landed on Robert sitting on the edge of his bed looking pale.

“Are you alright?” Aaron asked as he approached him.

Robert shook his head slightly. “In there.” He lifted a shaking hand to point at the bathroom.

Aaron spun round and stalked towards the bathroom. He had lowered his gun slightly but he held it ready. His eyes scanned everything as he neared the bathroom and then he entered the room slowly.

He could see why Robert was so distressed. Written in red across the mirror was a message from his stalker. The words seemed to almost jump out as the bright lights of the bathroom reflected on the surface of the mirror. The message had a similar theme to all the others, the same hate-filled words, the same angry tone. However there was something strikingly different this time and it wasn’t just the fact that the message wasn’t written on paper. All the previous messages had included the words ‘by your side’ in some way; this one ended with, _‘I’ll be by your side soon’_. The ‘ _soon’_ was underlined twice and the emphasis on what that meant was obvious. It was a disturbing thought. It even unsettled Aaron as he read it – a cold shiver passed along his spine. The stalker was getting closer and he obviously intended to make his final move soon.  

Aaron quickly checked the bathroom for any other signs of disturbance before walking back into the bedroom. Finn was sitting beside Robert on the bed with his arm wrapped around him. Robert looked a lot younger in that moment and the carefree, obnoxious attitude was long gone.

 

“It’s not safe here,” Aaron announced as he stood before them. “My advice is that we take you home.”

He half-expected some sort of argument from Robert, some resistance to his suggestion, but he heard nothing. Robert didn’t even look up at him.

 

***

 

It didn’t take long to collect up all their belongings and leave the hotel. They arranged a private flight home as soon as possible.

Aaron didn’t leave Robert’s side until he was settled back in his home. He had left Robert to unpack as he did a security check of the house. There had already been one serious breach of security which he was furious with himself about; he wasn’t going to allow any more.   

 

After a long and particularly stressful day travelling home, Aaron was more than a little grateful to just be alone in the pool-house. He changed out of his suit and traded it for a much more comfortable pair of shorts and a t-shirt. There was no way that Robert would be wanting to go anywhere and he knew he had the rest of the evening to himself.

Unfortunately, changing out of his work clothes didn’t mean he switched off his ‘work mind’. He just couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. It wasn’t his fault: it hadn’t happened because he had neglected his duties but he still felt responsible.

He was struggling to understand it. If the stalker had been able to get in, why hadn’t he made a grab for Robert then? Why had he gone to the effort of leaving another message when he could have just waited and attacked Robert when he returned? The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.

The stalker was obviously enjoying playing a game with Robert. He obviously wanted to frighten him; he wanted to build up to the moment when he finally attacked. It was a sick, disturbing game and it made Aaron furious just to think about it. 

Seeing how quiet and distressed Robert had been had actually made Aaron feel sorry for him. He knew that Robert had spent the last few weeks talking to him like shit and going out of his way to be an arsehole but he wouldn’t wish something like this on him. No-one deserved to be terrified like this.

Aaron wanted nothing more than to chill out for the rest of the evening and get an early night while he had the chance. He was sure he wouldn’t be disturbed so he was surprised when he heard a light knocking on the door to the pool-house. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he walked to the door and pulled it open. He didn’t know what to say when he saw Robert standing outside looking at him with a face torn between apprehension and exhaustion.

“Is everything alright?” he asked after a long silence filled with the two of them just looking at each other.

Robert cleared his throat quietly. “I was wondering if I could talk to you,” he replied as he looked down at his feet.

This was not the Robert that Aaron had become so used to over the last few weeks. He seemed so quiet and unsure.

“Of course,” he replied as he stepped to one side and gestured for Robert to enter the pool-house.

Robert was fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt as Aaron stood before him.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Aaron asked gently. He was amazed that he was managing to be quite so accommodating to Robert after everything that had happened over the last few weeks, but after the events at the hotel Aaron couldn’t help but feel something other than anger towards him. 

Robert looked up at him suddenly and chewed on his lower lip nervously for a moment. He held eye contact with Aaron as he finally said, “I wanted to talk to you so I could say I’m sorry.”

Aaron blinked rapidly a few times in shock. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting Robert to say but it certainly wasn’t that.

Robert was still looking at him seriously. “I am sorry, Aaron. I’ve been a total dick to you for weeks now. I’ve behaved like such a spoilt brat. I know you must hate me but I just wanted you to know that I’m really sorry.”

“I…I don’t hate you Robert,” Aaron replied as he tried to absorb the words gushing out of the actor.

“You should,” Robert answered immediately. “I’m ashamed of the way I’ve been acting. I was just…” he sighed deeply, “I was just so angry and upset about what happened between us. You hurt me and I wanted to make you feel the same.”

The apology was so genuine that Aaron had no doubt that Robert meant every word that he was saying. He looked so desperate to tell Aaron the truth and let him know that he really was sorry for what had happened.

“Finn told me that you’re going to leave,” Robert continued. “I don’t blame you for that. I don’t know how you’ve put up with me for as long as you have. I just want you to know that I lied earlier when I said that I didn’t need you. I _do_ need you. When I saw what was in the bathroom at the hotel…” He paused as a shudder seemed to pass through him. “Well, all I wanted was you. I don’t want you to leave without knowing the truth.”

Aaron could hardly believe that Robert was standing in front of him pouring his heart out after everything they had been through. He took a few deep breaths as he tried to process what he had heard.

“Robert…I’m not going to leave. I was angry when I said that but I’m not going to leave you to deal with this alone.” He paused as he looked at Robert steadily for a moment. “I’m not sure if you understand how much I appreciate you coming over here like this – it can’t have been easy. Thank you.”

Robert shook his head slightly and looked back at his feet.

Aaron drew in another deep breath before he spoke again. “I want you to know that I’m sorry too.”

Robert looked back up at him with raised eyebrows.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you after we slept together. I didn’t exactly explain myself very well and I can understand why you were so angry. I know it must be hard to understand but I have to be totally focused on my job. I can’t afford to be thinking about anything other than keeping you safe. If there’s something going on between us it makes things so much more complicated. I don’t want you to think that I don’t care about you because I do, but while I’m your bodyguard there can’t be anything else,” Aaron said as he finally got the chance to explain everything that he felt.

The smallest smile appeared on Robert’s face and he looked like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re not going to leave,” he said quietly.

Aaron smiled in response. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief to have finally been able to have this conversation with Robert.

Robert shifted where he was standing and cleared his throat. “I should probably head back over to the house and leave you in peace.”

Aaron nodded once as Robert walked past him towards the door. Before he even had chance to think about it, he said gently, “Stay.”

Robert turned around to face him with a questioning look on his face but he didn’t speak.

Aaron swallowed thickly. “Stay here with me. We’ll talk some more, I don’t want you sitting over there alone thinking about what’s happened.”

Smiling appreciatively, Robert nodded his agreement and followed Aaron to the sofa.

 

***

When Robert opened his eyes, it took him a moment to remember where he was. It was dark outside and the room was softly lit by a small lamp. He was incredibly comfortable and he realised that he had been sleeping on a sofa. As he reached his hand up to rub at his sleepy eyes, he became aware that his head wasn’t resting on the arm of the sofa but on someone’s lap. Twisting himself around, he looked up and stared straight into the gently smiling eyes of Aaron.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry…I must have fallen asleep,” he said as he tried to push himself up.

A firm hand landed on his shoulder preventing him from moving. “It’s fine, Rob, you obviously needed the rest.”

“What time is it?” Robert asked as he settled his head back against Aaron’s thighs.

“Too late for you to be going back over to the house,” Aaron replied. “You might as well stay here. Not on the sofa though, I don’t think my back can take it. We’ll stay in my bed.”

Robert’s eyes widened dramatically as he looked up at Aaron in shock. “But you said…”

Aaron laughed slightly and shook his head. “I think it’s best if we just go to sleep this time.”

A tinge of pink coloured Robert’s cheeks as he managed to push himself upright. “Good idea,” he mumbled. “Lead the way then.”

Robert didn’t think it would have mattered where he had laid his head at that moment – as long as he was with Aaron he would be comfortable enough to drift off to sleep. They had talked for hours and cleared the air between them leaving them both feeling happier than they had for weeks.

As they settled down in bed, Robert with his head turned to the side to face Aaron, he whispered, “I really am glad that you’re not leaving.”

Aaron smiled softly. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm snarfettelove on tumblr.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, your lovely comments and kudos have meant the world to me and kept me writing, so thank you!
> 
> I'm snarfettelove over on tumblr.
> 
> There's only one more chapter to go after this one...

The next few weeks flew by in a blur.

Robert’s schedule had been monopolised by publicity events for his new movie and he had been travelling all over the country to promote it. It seemed that the busy agenda was exactly what Robert needed. It kept him totally focused and he didn’t have time to fret about what his stalker was planning.

 

Aaron had no such distractions. His mind was permanently fixed on the fact that the situation was going to reach its conclusion sooner rather than later. Ever since the message in the bathroom at the hotel, Aaron had been on high alert. He was convinced that an attempt to make direct contact with Robert was next on the stalker’s to-do list and he wanted to be prepared. He _was_ prepared; in fact he was pretty keen to ‘meet’ the twisted individual that had been causing Robert so much distress.

 

Trusting his instincts was the way that Aaron had become such a successful bodyguard. It was like he had some sort of sixth sense for detecting dangerous situations and he had learnt over the years to never ignore the alarm bells that went off in his head if something didn’t feel right.

Despite being well aware of the danger Robert was in and knowing that the stalker was more than just some loopy fan that wanted to give the actor a hug, Aaron was quietly confident. There was no way in hell that the creep was going to hurt Robert; he was sure of it.

 

Things between Robert and Aaron had been so much easier after their heart-to-heart. There was no resentment or anger anymore. Their relationship seemed to be the healthiest it had ever been.

Robert knew that while Aaron was protecting him there was no chance of anything happening between them and he had accepted it. He wasn’t entirely _happy_ about it but he knew that there was no point even thinking about going down that road again – not after the mess it had caused last time. He couldn’t help but flirt with Aaron sometimes but he knew when to stop before he got carried away.

 

Of course Aaron was completely in control. He allowed the playful banter and flirting with Robert because he was confident that Robert understood the way that things had to be. In some ways, he seemed much more relaxed and comfortable with Robert but he was still completely focused on his job. Even as he laughed at Robert’s stupid jokes and comments, he was still aware of everything going on around him. He was prepared to move to protect Robert at any moment.

 

Robert still had his moments when he showed that he was a Hollywood A-lister who could throw a hissy-fit at the drop of a hat, but thankfully the sulks and tantrums weren’t aimed at Aaron as much anymore.

There had been a few occasions when Aaron’s intense awareness of security had riled Robert and there had been some angry words thrown in his direction but on the whole Robert was trying to be more co-operative.

 

After several weeks of promoting the movie and travelling all over, Robert’s hard work was rewarded. News came that the movie had been nominated for an Academy Award and Robert was up for Best Actor. He was beside himself as he bounded around the house screaming about it. It was his first nomination for such a prestigious award and he felt like he was finally making the step to being recognised as a serious actor rather than just someone who was on-screen because of their appearance.

 

He thanked Aaron immediately and it had taken Aaron a moment to realise that he was being thanked for teaching Robert how to hold and fire a gun. Apparently, it had made Robert’s portrayal seem totally realistic and added a great deal of credibility to the movie. Aaron didn’t really know how to receive such thanks so he just shrugged and smiled a little awkwardly. He did begin to wonder if Robert would mention him in his acceptance speech when he won the award (which Aaron was convinced he would) but he tried to push such thoughts out of his mind.

 

The announcement of the awards ceremony immediately set Aaron’s mind racing. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed likely that it would be the perfect moment for the stalker to strike.

The stalker had been playing a frightening game for a long time now; it was obviously nearing its end and what better way to finish it than by attacking Robert in the moment he had been so happy about. Robert was so pleased about the awards that Aaron almost didn’t have the heart to ruin it for him by sharing his concerns, but he knew he had to tell Robert everything in order to keep him safe.

 

***

Hollywood’s biggest night of the year arrived and Robert was a nervous wreck. He had taken on board everything that Aaron had told him about his theory about the stalker and seemed to completely understand the seriousness of the situation. He had looked a little sad as Aaron explained to him that he thought it was the obvious moment for an attack to happen, but then he had nodded in acceptance as though he had already come to the same conclusion himself and Aaron was just confirming his fears. Despite the dread that he felt about what might happen, he was also incredibly excited and nervous about the actual event. It was potentially a huge moment in Robert’s career and he was well aware of the importance of the evening.

 

Instead of waiting outside near the car as he normally did when he was escorting Robert anywhere, Aaron went up to his room to check if he was ready for the evening. Aaron smiled fondly as he saw Robert standing in front of the mirror fiddling with his hair. He looked every bit the Hollywood star in his tuxedo and Aaron tried not to make it too obvious that he was impressed.

“Hey,” he said softly so as not to startle him. “Are you about ready?”

Robert turned around to look at him with a frown on his face. “I would be if my hair would stop being so awkward. Does it look weird to you?”

Aaron chuckled gently, “No, Rob. It looks perfect. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Robert raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side slightly. “Except getting murdered,” he replied sarcastically.

The smile fell from Aaron’s face as he looked at Robert steadily.

“That’s not going to happen,” he said firmly. “No-one will get near you while I’m around. I’ve told you, Robert, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

Robert drew in a deep breath. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just freaking out, that’s all.”

“It’s okay to be scared, but you should focus on the awards and let me worry about everything else. Have you got your acceptance speech?”

Robert laughed loudly. “What speech?” he said as he shook his head at Aaron. “I really don’t think I’ll need one.”

“Yes, you will,” Aaron replied. “You’re going to win – you deserve it. You know I’m always right.”

Laughing again, Robert seemed to have momentarily forgotten his concerns.

“You just _think_ you’re always right and we just agree with you so as you don’t do some crazy martial arts shit on us. You actually talk a lot of bullshit.”

Aaron was smiling again as he nodded at Robert’s cheeky comments. He was happy to let Robert joke around with him if it was taking his mind off being afraid.

“How do you know I won’t do some ‘crazy martial arts shit’ right now because you’ve offended me?”

“Even _you_ wouldn’t dare do that,” Robert replied knowingly. “No-one in their right mind would try that on an actor who had just spent several hours getting ready for the Oscars.”

Aaron laughed as Robert walked past him and they headed down to the car. He knew Robert’s joviality wouldn’t last, but it was good to see him smiling - at least for now.

 

***

Once they arrived at the ceremony, Aaron could no longer focus on anything other than constantly monitoring Robert’s security. He didn’t have anything left to be able to chat with Robert and take his mind off his worries.

Of course, Robert immediately picked up on the difference and he started to panic about what was going to happen. He tried to keep the tension hidden inside but he felt like it was something that wanted to burst out of him and scream. There were so many people shouting his name and so many cameras flashing at him as he made his way along the red carpet that he felt like all he wanted to do was run away. He tried to keep a smile plastered on his face but he knew it slipped several times.

This wasn’t fair. This was the biggest night of his career and he was supposed to be revelling in the attention and adoration, not silently screaming in terror and wondering if some mad-man was watching him right now.

Aaron was a constant tense presence near him and as much as he knew he appreciated that, he couldn’t help but feel some resentment towards him. It wasn’t that he was _angry_ with Aaron, it was just that all the frustration, fear and panic he felt was being somehow channelled towards him. He knew he’d be lost without Aaron but he also couldn’t help but wish that he wasn’t there. If Aaron wasn’t there, that would mean Robert didn’t need extra security which would mean he didn’t have a psycho after him. In his current distressed state, he couldn’t understand that his fraught mind was blurring the issue and making him angry at the wrong person.  

 

By the time Robert had made it to the end of the red carpet, he was incredibly tense. His heart was racing and he felt sick.

“Are you alright, Robert?” Aaron asked as he placed a gentle hand on his upper arm.

Robert shrugged away from the contact.

“I’m fine,” he snapped as he stalked away.

Aaron didn’t take it to heart. He understood the stress that Robert was feeling and he just followed him quietly.

 

Once the ceremony began, Aaron hoped that Robert would relax and feel more comfortable. Meanwhile, Robert sat in his seat glancing around the room nervously as various people stood on the stage and announced nominees and winners of awards. He didn’t even notice who was winning. He felt trapped. There were so many people in the room and he was convinced that one of them wanted him dead. He was getting too hot and he felt uncomfortable. He just wanted the whole evening to be over.

Suddenly, he pushed himself out of his seat. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing; his body just seemed to be carrying him away from the hall. He was aware that people were following him, but he didn’t stop walking until he was in a backstage area. His hands were shaking as he slipped his jacket off.

“What’s going on?” Finn asked as he stood in front of him.

Robert sighed deeply as he felt himself cooling down. “I just needed some air.”

“Do you feel ill? You don’t need to leave, do you?” Finn asked.

Robert wanted to say ‘yes’ but looking at Finn’s expectant face he knew the awards meant so much to him too. “No, I’m just panicking that’s all.”

“I told you, Robert, try not to worry about it,” Aaron told him from behind Finn.

Robert felt himself tense at the words. He stepped to the side so he could see Aaron clearly.

“Try not to _worry_ about it?” he repeated angrily. “How the hell do you expect me to do that when you’ve told me that I’m going to get attacked tonight? The reason I’m freaking out so much is _you_.” He pointed his finger accusingly at Aaron. “I’d be just fine if you weren’t here!”

Aaron blinked in shock a few times as he absorbed Robert’s words. He didn’t really know how to respond to that but he didn’t need to as Vic stepped in. Robert had asked her to attend as his ‘plus one’ as his way of thanking her for sticking by him and Aaron was more than a little pleased that she was there to help talk Robert round.  

“Rob, you need to just calm down a bit. Aaron’s only here to help you. Look, I know you’re stressing, but you need to focus on your award. You’re safe; nothing’s going to happen to you with all these people around. There’s security everywhere and you’ve got Aaron watching your back. Let’s take a deep breath and head back inside. Your award’s nearly up.”

Robert was looking at his sister closely as she spoke. Then he nodded once as though he had been completely calmed by her words and pulled his jacket back on. Vic helped straighten it out and then they began walking back towards the main hall.

Finn patted Aaron on the shoulder and shrugged at him. He clearly didn’t understand Robert’s crazy outburst and neither did Aaron. He knew he had to focus though. He reminded himself that Robert was struggling to cope with the fact that he was a target and he tried not to take the comments personally.

 

Robert managed to remain in his seat until it was time for his category to be announced. As he listened to the names being read out, all thoughts of his stalker disappeared from his mind. He was tense now for an entirely different reason.

And then he heard it.

“The award for best actor in a leading role goes to…Robert Sugden.”

He was completely stunned and it must have shown on his face because both Finn and Vic were laughing as they hugged him.

Standing up from his seat rather unsteadily, he made his way towards the stage. The smile on his face now was totally genuine. This was one of the greatest moments of his life and he felt like he was walking on air.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aaron going round the side of the hall towards the stage and he almost stumbled. He was brought back to reality with a crash as he was reminded again of the potential danger he was in.

He made his way up the steps and accepted his award from the announcers but he felt like he was in a blur. This was not how he imagined this moment would be. He was still smiling but as he stood before the microphone to give his speech he found his throat had gone completely dry. Looking out across the audience he felt sick again. All those people watching him - was one of them his stalker? Was one of them about to pull out a gun and shoot him?

Robert just stood there and stared out across the room. His heart was hammering in his chest as he looked into the bright lights shining on him.

Someone coughed and Robert seemed to come back to reality. He was standing clutching his Oscar in front of a rather confused looking audience. He didn’t even know how long he’d been standing there.

“Um…this is a total shock. I’m lost for words,” he tried at a joke to cover his embarrassment but he felt like an idiot. “I’d better keep this short. I’d like to thank my manager Finn and my little sister Vic for their support. Everyone that worked on the movie – it was such a privilege to work with such creative people. I’d like to thank the people who have stuck by me for everything they’ve done for me over the years. I’m totally overwhelmed by this so thank you.”

Loud applause started as he lifted the award slightly and walked away from the microphone. His legs felt like jelly and he still thought that someone was going to grab him at any moment.

Aaron met him backstage and Robert scowled at him slightly. Nothing had happened despite Aaron’s foreboding prediction.

Aaron actually looked completely baffled. He had been so sure it would be tonight, on the stage in front of a captive audience. The night wasn’t actually over yet though and Aaron was still convinced the stalker would make his move before the night was out even if it hadn’t happened exactly when he thought it would.

 

***

After several hours of interviews and photo opportunities, Robert was exhausted and more than a little irritated. He had answered what seemed like hundreds of questions and kept a smile on his face the whole time. He was totally elated about winning the award but he felt like his enjoyment had been dampened by Aaron’s warnings.

Of course he was glad that no-one had tried to kidnap him or kill him, but he was also annoyed that Aaron had worked him up into a wild panic for nothing and ruined his evening. His anger was fuelled by the fact that he thought he must have looked like a complete idiot standing in front of everyone silently for an inexplicable length of time. He was convinced that that would be what was all over the papers the next day. In his head he was already imagining the stories that the press would create: he was so wasted he couldn’t even speak; he was having a nervous breakdown; he wasn’t intelligent enough to actually string a sentence together. He ground his teeth in annoyance as he thought about it.

 

Aaron was at a loss. He didn’t know how to explain what had happened or more accurately what _hadn’t_ happened. He had been so sure it would be at the awards. Every fibre of his being had been screaming that Robert was in danger as soon as they had arrived at the ceremony. Maybe he had just talked himself into believing that it would be that night. Whatever had gone wrong with his ‘sixth sense’ for danger he didn’t know how he was going to explain it to Robert whose face was like thunder as he looked at Aaron.  

“I need my phone – I think I left it in the car,” Robert said suddenly.

“Do you want me to go down to the parking garage and get it?” Finn offered.

“No, I’ll go,” Robert replied. “I could use some space.”

Robert made to walk away but Finn stopped him. “You have to wait for Aaron.”

Robert sucked in a sharp breath and wrinkled his nose. “Fine. Are you coming?” he snapped in Aaron’s direction.

Aaron nodded once as he followed Robert. He felt like a naughty child but he couldn’t blame Robert for being angry with him. He had put the fear of God in Robert with his theory about what was going to happen tonight and nothing had happened at all. He felt like he had let Robert down and he wasn’t sure if he’d be forgiven easily.

 

As they walked, Aaron decided he needed to make the first move to smooth things over.

“Congratulations on winning,” he said quietly. “I knew you would.”

“Thanks,” Robert muttered in response. He was stomping along so quickly that it seemed like he was trying to escape Aaron.

 

It didn’t seem to take long before they reached the parking garage. They were halfway across the car park by the time Aaron had decided that he had to say something about what had happened.

“Robert, I’m sorry about freaking you out needlessly tonight. I was so sure he would make his move tonight and I just wanted you to be prepared.”

Robert stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “This was supposed to be one of the best nights of my life and I haven’t been able to enjoy it because I’ve been freaking out so much about what you _thought_ was going to happen. _Nothing_ happened, Aaron. You were wrong. Maybe next time you should just keep your crazy theories to yourself.”

Robert marched away from Aaron once more and for just a moment Aaron hesitated. For the first time in years, he was questioning his abilities as a bodyguard and he felt rooted to the spot by his doubts.

 

Robert hadn’t even noticed that Aaron wasn’t directly behind him. He was in a foul mood as he stomped out from a row of parked cars.

A loud squeal of tyres echoed through the practically deserted garage and Robert looked up sharply.

Racing towards him was a dark saloon car and the driver didn’t seem to be slowing down. Robert was frozen to the spot in terror; he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the approaching vehicle. It was going to hit him and he was powerless to avoid it.

 

Suddenly, something solid slammed into him from the side and he felt himself propelled out of the path of the car. He landed in an undignified heap on the floor, hissing as the skin on his hand ripped against the concrete.

His heart was thundering against his ribs and for a split-second everything seemed quiet. Then there was a sickening thump, the sound of hard metal hitting something much more yielding.

Whipping his head round immediately, Robert watched in horror as Aaron bounced up the bonnet of the car and slammed into the windscreen. The car screeched to an abrupt halt and Aaron was thrown to the concrete where he rolled several times before coming to a stop.

 

It took Robert a moment to register what he had just seen, but once it had sunk in he felt sick to his stomach.

Aaron had pushed him out of the way, saving his life as he had always promised he would, but hadn’t had the chance to get himself out of harm’s way.

Aaron had said that he would protect him no matter what the cost and now it seemed that the cost was his own life. As much as Robert didn’t want to even think it, it seemed impossible that Aaron could have survived such an impact.

He scrabbled to his feet unsteadily. He wasn’t going to give up hope that Aaron would be alright; he had to help him. Taking a few shaky steps towards the still figure on the floor, he winced at the awkward angle that Aaron’s leg was bent at and the smear of blood down the side of his face. Aaron was lying facing him but his eyes were closed and Robert was too far away to make out if he was breathing or not.

 

Robert took another step before he realised that he wasn’t alone.

The driver of the car had got out of his vehicle and had moved to stand between Robert and Aaron.

“Oh my God,” Robert gasped as he staggered to a halt. “What the hell are you doing?”

The man had pulled out a gun which he had pointed at the terrified and confused actor.

“Hello, Robert,” he said as though it was a totally normal situation.

Robert stared at the man in shock. “Connor…I…I don’t understand. What are you doing?”

The man before him was his ex-boyfriend but he looked so different as he pointed a gun at Robert. His eyes were full of bitterness as they burnt into him.

“I’ve been waiting so long to be near you again, Robert. I’ve missed you,” Connor said with a sickly smile.

“It’s been _you_ this whole time,” Robert managed to say. He seemed to be speaking his thoughts aloud. “You’ve been sending me the letters.”

“Of course. I had to make you see that we belong together,” Connor replied easily. He seemed completely oblivious to Robert’s discomfort. “You broke my heart, Robert. You pushed me away.”

“We…we broke up,” Robert said slowly. “You only wanted to be with me because you wanted to get your face in the papers.”

“That’s not true. I _love_ you,” Connor told him.

“You sold your story to the press! How is that love?” Robert was trying to keep calm but he was finding it incredibly difficult.   

“I just wanted you to know how much I love you,” Connor replied. He was still smiling at Robert as though they had finally been reunited and everything was completely normal. “You wouldn’t take my calls so I had to show you somehow.”

“If you love me, why have you been sending me those letters? Why have you been saying those awful things? Why do you want to hurt me?” Robert asked desperately. He was trying to think of ways to escape the situation but he was so panicked he was coming up blank. The only thing he could think to do was to keep Connor talking and pray that someone would come along and find them before it was too late.

Connor’s face seemed to darken a little and his nostrils flared. “You’ve been ignoring me. I had to make you understand that you belong to me. I know you love me too but you’ve been letting other people stand in our way. I can’t allow that.” He gestured over his shoulder to where Aaron’s body was unmoving on the concrete.

Robert’s eyes wandered back to Aaron. He desperately wanted to help him but he was stuck at the mercy of his delusional former lover.

“Don’t look at _him_!” Connor suddenly snapped at him. “Do you know how long he’s kept me away from you? Every time I’ve wanted to get close to you, _he’s_ been there. I wanted to be near to you tonight at the ceremony but he was there, right beside you, in my way. I knew I’d have to get rid of him if I wanted to get to you but I didn’t realise it would be so easy. I was down here tonight thinking about how I could get close to you and then you turned up. Don’t you see that it was meant to be? Now _he’s_ gone, we can be together. I can take you away from all of this and all these people that try to stop us.”

“That’s not what I want,” Robert said quietly as his eyes widened. He could tell that Connor was starting to lose control and he was terrified.

“Of course it is,” Connor said as he shook his head. “I know what’s happened. Those friends of yours and that bodyguard, they’ve all turned you against me. They never wanted us to be together – they were jealous. We don’t need them; we only need to be together forever. I want to be by your side, Robert, and you’re going to be by mine. You have to come with me and we can get away from here.” He took a step towards Robert and Robert took a step backwards.

“No, no… I don’t want to go with you,” Robert said as he shook his head.

Connor drew in a deep breath. He wasn’t smiling anymore. His jaw was clenched tightly and his eyes were full of annoyance.

“I knew you’d be like this. I _knew_ you’d be difficult.” He waved the gun at Robert angrily. The sickeningly romantic words from before were suddenly gone, replaced by Connor’s anger and annoyance at not getting his own way. Robert felt like he was having a conversation with two completely different people.  “I knew they’d turned you against me. It’s time you stopped listening to them and did what you were supposed to. You’ve been behaving terribly lately; getting drunk and spending too much time with other people. That’s why I got so angry with you…because you keep pushing me away. I warned you what would happen if you didn’t do as I said. You need to learn your lesson, Robert. We belong together.” He paused and closed his eyes for the briefest moment.

Robert considered running; what other choice did he have? But he was pretty sure he’d end up with a bullet in his back if he so much as turned around. He took another tiny step backwards and Connor’s eyes snapped open and pinned him to the spot.

“I don’t care _how_ we’re together, Robert. If you don’t want to come with me, I’ll take you anyway and then I’ll make you see. We’ll have forever for you to remember that you love me.”

Suddenly his hand became steady and he pointed the gun directly at Robert’s chest.

Robert held out his hands to try to pacify the mad man before him.

“Please, Connor. Please, don’t do this.”

Connor simply shook his head and smiled again. “You are mine, Robert.”

 

Robert looked at him in horror; this was it. Aaron had been right all along that it would be that night.

He couldn’t get the terrible images of what Connor was going to do with him out of his mind. He was going to shoot him and then take him somewhere and he’d have no chance of ever escaping. And when Connor realised that he wasn’t ever going to love him, he was going to kill him and no-one would ever know what had happened to him or find his body. And on top of all that, Aaron had given up his life in vain and Robert had never got the chance to thank him for everything he had done.

Robert squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to see Connor smirking at him as he pulled the trigger.

He heard the deafening bang as the bullet exploded from the gun, then he heard a second shot and he wondered why it didn’t hurt. Maybe it was over so quickly that he hadn’t even felt it. For a moment, he just stood where he was with his eyes tightly closed but then something made him push past his fear and dare to take a look. Opening his eyes incredibly slowly, afraid that Connor would still be there smiling at him, it took him a moment to fully comprehend what he was seeing.

 

Connor was lying face down on the floor in a rapidly growing pool of bright red blood. His gun had skidded across the concrete away from him, far from his grasp even if he was still alive.

Robert stared at him for a long moment before he lifted his eyes away from his body and looked up.

Aaron was still lying on the ground but his arm was outstretched perfectly steadily as he gripped his gun tightly. His eyes locked with Robert’s and a look of satisfaction flickered across his face before his expression was contorted into one of pain. His arm suddenly fell, his gun clattered to the ground and his eyes closed.

Robert’s eyes widened as he gasped in shock.

He ran the short distance and knelt down beside his fallen bodyguard.

“Aaron? Aaron, can you hear me?” he asked as he gently laid his hands against his shoulders.

It took a while but Aaron’s eyes gradually opened. “Hey, Rob,” he croaked. “Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Robert replied shaking his head.

“That’s my job,” Aaron retorted with as much force as he could manage. “You’re going to be alright now.”

“You saved my life,” Robert whispered.

Aaron seemed to take a long time to answer. “I told you I would,” he eventually said. “You’re going to be alright now,” he repeated.

“I need to get you some help,” Robert told him as he gently touched the side of his face, stroking his thumb across Aaron’s eyebrow softly.

“Don’t worry about me; I’ll be fine,” Aaron replied before his eyes closed heavily and he became frighteningly still again.

“ _Shit_!” Robert exclaimed. “Help! Someone help!” he yelled desperately across the garage, before he turned back to Aaron. He could feel tears stinging behind his eyes. “Aaron? Aaron, _please_ wake up. Please don’t give up, you have to hold on.”

Painfully slowly, Aaron’s eyes opened once more. “What’s wrong, Robert?” he whispered. He seemed confused as though he didn’t understand why Robert was so distressed.

“You have to stay with me,” Robert replied as he tried to keep his voice steady. “Don’t fall asleep.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Aaron told him.

Robert let out a strangled sob as he remembered Aaron speaking those exact words as they fell asleep together in the pool house.

“I’m so sorry I’ve been such a dickhead to you, Aaron... God, I feel like I spend my whole life apologising for treating you badly.”

A tiny smile actually tugged at Aaron’s lips at Robert’s words but he didn’t say anything. He was too busy concentrating on staying awake.

Robert gently took hold of his hand. “I want you to know how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for me. You saved my life, more than once.”

Aaron squeezed Robert’s hand slightly in response. He didn’t have the strength to do anything else – he could feel himself slipping away.

 

From across the garage a shout rang out and Robert spun around immediately.

Finn, Victoria and several people that Robert didn’t know were running towards them. Robert could hear Finn on his phone requesting an ambulance and he felt his hopes lift a little.

“It’ll be alright now; help’s on the way,” he said as he turned back to Aaron. He trailed off as he saw Aaron’s eyes were closed, his face was slack and his hand was no longer gripping Robert’s.

“No…Aaron, _no_! You have to stay with me.”

He couldn’t stop the tears that fell now as his desperate cries did nothing to bring Aaron back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides*


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of the wonderful feedback I've received for this story. You've all made me feel so welcome in the Robron fandom. 
> 
> Here's the last chapter - I hope you enjoy it.

It was a beautiful day; far too beautiful to be at a funeral.

 

That was what Robert thought as he looked at the crowd of mourners dressed in black standing around the hole in the ground. He shuddered at the thought that if things had been different the assembled group could have been there for him or Aaron. He shook the thoughts from his head as the car passed the cemetery and continued on its way towards the hospital.

 

Robert had visited Aaron in the hospital every day since what had happened.

When Aaron was first taken in, he hadn’t actually left the hospital; he had remained by his side, hoping that Aaron would wake up and everything would be alright. He had hardly slept; he’d hardly eaten. Even when Finn and Vic had pleaded with him to go home and rest, he’d refused to leave Aaron. He’d sat by his bedside and longed to see Aaron open his eyes again. 

It had taken a few days, but eventually Aaron had regained consciousness and he was now on the slow and frustrating road to recovery.

 

The doctors had finally decided that Aaron could go for a walk outside the hospital building. He had been a less than well-behaved patient and they reasoned that letting him out was better than having him try to sneak out and hurting himself even more.

 

When Aaron had initially regained consciousness, he was barely awake for a few minutes before he was knocked out again by incredibly strong pain-killers. He’d been awake for just long enough to lock eyes with Robert as he stood anxiously in the corner of the room as doctors and nurses fussed over Aaron before his eyes fell shut again as morphine was injected into the cannula in the back of his hand. Now that he wasn’t constantly being injected with the drugs, the nurses that were dealing with him were threatening to keep him sedated just to stop him being such a bad patient.

 

Of course Aaron was grateful for everything they were doing for him, but he was just so frustrated and he hated the knowledge that it was going to take months before he got totally back on his feet.

He knew he was lucky to be alive. A leg badly broken in three different places which meant he’d had surgery to attach pins and metalwork to the bones, a few broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone, a severe concussion and a lot of painful cuts and bruises – it was a miracle that he had survived with so few injuries and even more of a miracle that none of them were life-threatening. It was just the fact that he had to hobble about on crutches with a full-leg plaster cast that caused him so much irritation. He knew there’d be months of physiotherapy appointments and sitting around before he could get back to work.

 

Robert was grateful to have been able to take Aaron outside the hospital for a change. He could see how frustrated Aaron was and how fed-up he was of sitting on his hospital bed. So even though Aaron was limping along with his crutches, he could see the slightest look of happiness on his face.

“They said I should be getting out by the end of the week,” Aaron said as he hobbled along. When Robert had suggested that he pushed him in a wheelchair, Aaron had given him such a disgusted look that he had immediately given up on the idea.

“I think they’ll be glad to see the back of me,” he continued.

“Yeah, I get the impression you’re testing them. One of the nurses said you tried to sneak out again last night,” Robert replied with a small smile on his face.

Aaron laughed lightly. “You know me - I was just checking their security. Turns out, it’s pretty bloody good.”

Robert shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Maybe I could give you some pointers about how to give someone the slip,” he said with a cheeky smile before he gestured that they should sit down for a while on a nearby bench. He watched guiltily as Aaron lowered himself onto the bench carefully and tried to conceal the wince of pain that flashed across his face.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about for a while,” Robert said as he chewed on his bottom lip.

Aaron looked at him expectantly and nodded that he should go on.

“I don’t really know how to say this so I’ll just get on with it,” Robert began. “I…I don’t want you to be my bodyguard anymore.”

Aaron’s face fell and he looked down at his outstretched, plaster-covered leg. He took a deep breath and then replied, “I understand, Robert. I guess I’m not that surprised really. I’m sorry that I let you down.”

“What are you talking about?” Robert asked in shock.

“Well, you know. I didn’t exactly keep you very safe. Your ex could have killed you that night…he nearly did. I let you down.”

“No, you didn’t!” Robert practically erupted. “Aaron, you saved my life. If it wasn’t for you he would _definitely_ have killed me. You kept me safe and then when I needed you the most you were there. You almost got yourself _killed_ saving me. I’ll be eternally grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”

Aaron looked a little sheepish at Robert’s declaration but he also looked quite confused.

“I just assumed that you weren’t very happy about what had happened,” he said quietly.

“Well, no, I wasn’t very happy, but not because I thought you’d let me down. I wasn’t happy because my ex-boyfriend tried to kill me which, you know, kind of sucks. And, well, I was so worried about you.”

“Oh,” Aaron nodded slowly but he still looked a little lost.

Robert looked at him steadily and swallowed. He looked the most nervous Aaron had seen him in a long time.

“The reason I don’t want you to be my bodyguard anymore isn’t because I don’t think you’re good at your job. It’s because I know that if you’re my bodyguard that’s all you’ll ever be and I…I want more than that. I want us to be together…properly. I really think we’d be good together. Everything that’s happened has just made me realise how I feel. When I saw you get hit that night,” he paused and drew in a sharp breath. “I thought…I thought you were dead and I realised how stupid I’d been for not telling you how I felt. I couldn’t spend another minute without telling you.”

Aaron’s look of confusion seemed to gradually change as he listened to Robert’s words. Understanding dawned on him and he felt his heart jump a little at what he heard. He just gazed at Robert for a long time before he realised that he should probably say something before Robert chewed his lower lip away in worry.

“You know that we can never be together,” he began and watched as Robert’s face fell slightly. “If I’m your bodyguard,” he continued quickly and smiled cheekily as Robert’s eyes narrowed. “So…I quit.”

Robert laughed brightly, the relief was flowing from him in waves. “You can’t quit,” he smiled. “I’d already fired you.”

The feeling that nothing was going to stand in their way anymore seemed to have infected them both with laughter. They only stopped when Robert leant over suddenly and captured Aaron’s lips in an excited kiss. He carefully held Aaron’s unbruised cheek in one of his large hands. Aaron reached up and stroked his hand through Robert’s hair gently.

They were both smiling widely when they eventually pulled away.

“You do realise that we’ll have to find you a new bodyguard,” Aaron told him.

“And you do realise that the threat against my life has gone,” Robert replied.

Aaron tilted his head slightly. “Yes, but I don’t trust you not to get into any more trouble. I’ve already got someone in mind.”

Robert leant forwards again and whispered against Aaron’s ear, “There’s no rush. I don’t think I’ll be going far for a while when I get you home.”

A tingle of excited anticipation travelled down Aaron’s spine at the words. He turned his head and pressed his lips against Robert’s again.

Maybe there would be some benefits to being laid up in bed for a while after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm snarfettelove on tumblr if you'd like to say 'hi'.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue to 'By Your Side'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d already thought about maybe doing a little extra chapter about how Aaron and Robert coped as boyfriends rather than bodyguard and client, and then after reading some of your wonderful comments on the final chapter of By Your Side, I was encouraged to do it. This turned out a little bit more angsty than I’d originally envisaged but hopefully the ending makes up for that! I hope you enjoy. As always, I’d love to know what you thought.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Aaron erupted as soon as Robert casually walked through the door into the living room like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Robert stumbled to a halt with a bemused expression on his face. He genuinely looked like he didn’t know what Aaron was talking about and somehow that made Aaron even more irate.

“You purposefully got away from Adam so you could go and get mixed up with those fans. Don’t even try to deny it; I know you, remember,” he said as he wagged his finger at Robert angrily.

 

It had been four months since the night that Robert’s stalker, his obsessed ex-boyfriend, had attacked, leaving Aaron in a hospital bed with serious injuries. Aaron would never regret what he’d had to do to save Robert’s life that night, but the recovery time from his many injuries was incredibly frustrating.

 

The one good thing about the whole ordeal had been that they’d finally found a way to be together properly, but that didn’t mean everything was smooth sailing. Robert was still a Hollywood A-lister who was adamant that he got what he wanted. And despite the fact that Adam had taken over as Robert’s bodyguard on Aaron’s recommendation, Aaron still couldn’t switch off the part of his brain that wanted to keep Robert safe at all times. He’d never be able to do that.

 

Aaron had been at a gruelling physiotherapy session that afternoon. He’d known as soon as he’d woken up in the hospital that his road to recovery would be long and painful, but he’d been determined right from the get-go that he’d get back to the level of fitness and physical strength that he’d had before.

 

After six weeks, he’d been to the hospital to have the full-length plaster-cast on his leg removed. He couldn’t wait to get it taken off, but as the plaster had been cracked open, it had revealed a leg that almost looked like it didn’t belong to his body at all. The muscle had wasted and the skin looked revolting, and Aaron had drawn in a deep breath at the realisation of how difficult his recovery would be, especially when his doctor told him that he might never get the full strength back in his leg. He couldn’t afford to let this injury affect his day-to-day life if he wanted to get back to the job he loved.

 

He’d been almost desperate to start his physiotherapy sessions but, the NHS being how it was, he was only scheduled for one appointment a week, which he knew was going to slow his recovery even further.

 

After seeing his despondent face, Robert had stepped in and told him he’d pay for Aaron to receive private treatment from the best physiotherapy specialist that money could buy. Aaron had refused immediately; he wasn’t going to let Robert pay for things for him like that. That wasn’t what their relationship was about and Aaron had always been independent with money before, so he didn’t need charity now. Robert had argued that it wasn’t about ‘charity’, and he just _wanted_ to do it for Aaron, but the debate had rumbled on between them for days, sparking a few heated rows and Aaron doing his best to stomp off, but failing miserably as the effect was ruined somewhat by him still having to hobble around using his crutches.

 

The issue had finally been resolved by the fact that Robert was just so persistent – he refused to let it go. And, ultimately, he’d been rather persuasive. Aaron found it hard to deny him anything when he’d got Robert’s lips wrapped around his cock giving him one of the most mind-blowing orgasms of his life. If he’d said ‘no’ again, he was seriously concerned that Robert might withhold sex and he definitely couldn’t handle that.

 

The fact that Robert was paying a ridiculous amount meant that the physiotherapist actually came to the house for the sessions. Aaron had just waved him off, wiping the sweat from his forehead, when his phone had vibrated with an incoming message. Swiping his phone on, he immediately saw a text from Adam, involving some seriously foul language and cursing Aaron for recommending him for the job protecting ‘the most reckless, idiotic fucking dickhead’ he’d ever worked for. Aaron’s stomach had flipped over as he read the words, knowing just what Robert was capable of and exactly the sort of stupid stunts he pulled.

 

He opened the Twitter app on his phone, did a quick search and immediately found photos and shaky camera phone footage of Robert apparently being swarmed by a crowd of excitable fans, with no sign of Adam nearby. Robert looked quite at ease with the situation as he chatted with his fans and took selfies, but Aaron was instantly furious. Why did his boyfriend insist on constantly putting himself in danger? Especially after what had happened with Connor.

 

He’d paced the living room, making his injured leg ache, until he’d heard the front door of Robert’s house slam shut and Robert had appeared in the doorway looking like he didn’t have a care in the world until Aaron had bitten his head off.

 

“Adam grassed on me then,” he said in response to Aaron’s accusation.

“Too fucking right he did,” Aaron snapped. “And even if he hadn’t, it was all over Twitter. I’d have found out eventually.”

Robert sighed. “It was harmless. A bit of fan-service goes a long way, you know. They haven’t seen me around much in the last few months so I just thought I’d make the effort.”

It was true. Robert had stayed at home a lot with Aaron during his recovery. He hadn’t started work on any new movies and he’d hardly made any public appearances or done any press. It had all been bad timing seeing as the night of Robert’s Academy Award success had been the night that Aaron had nearly died protecting him.

The press had had a field-day with the dramatic story that Robert had been attacked after the awards and had gone into complete meltdown when someone had revealed that it was his ex-boyfriend who’d tried to kill him.

Robert had given one interview after the attack and had been tight-lipped ever since, asking for some privacy whilst he and his team dealt with the traumatic events of that night. He’d made no mention of Aaron by name, on Aaron’s request, but had merely thanked his security team, the emergency services and the hospital staff for their excellent work.

 

“You didn’t have to throw yourself into a horde of screaming fans the first opportunity you got,” Aaron countered.

Robert frowned at him. “You make them sound like a pack of flesh-eating zombies. They were just excited. I wasn’t in any danger.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you’d had all that training that helped you assess a situation for potential threats,” Aaron retorted sarcastically.

“You do remember that you’re not my bodyguard anymore, don’t you? Because you sound an awful lot like you think you still are,” Robert replied angrily. He was losing his patience with the whole situation.

“So, I’m supposed to just stop worrying about you then?” Aaron snapped back at him. “Just because Connor’s dead that doesn’t suddenly mean that you’re safe, you know?” He saw Robert shudder slightly at the mention of his deranged ex and knew that this argument was heading into dangerous territory but he couldn’t bring himself to stop talking. He needed Robert to understand how much he wanted, no _needed_ , him to be safe. “You’re one of the most famous actors in the world, right now. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that that means you’re worth a lot of money and some bastard out there might think that kidnapping you and asking for a massive ransom was an easy way to make some big money.”

“Oh, so it’s just about money, is it?” Robert bit back angrily. “Nice to know you’ve put a price on my life and that’s all you can focus on.”

“Don’t be fucking ridiculous,” Aaron shouted. “That was just an example of how someone might hurt you. There are a lot of crazy people in the world, Robert. We know that from first-hand experience in that parking garage that night. Why can’t you just accept that I want to keep you safe?”         

“And why can’t _you_ just be my boyfriend?” Robert yelled back. “Just be my boyfriend and stop trying to be my bodyguard. You can’t be both – you know that. That’s where everything went wrong before. If you can’t accept _that_ then we’ve got a serious problem.”

“Keeping you safe isn’t about me still trying to be your bodyguard, Robert. It’s about wanting you safe, here with me at the end of every day. I can’t switch off the part of my brain that wants to protect you, but I wouldn’t be able to do that even if I hadn’t ever been your bodyguard. I want you safe; it’s that simple.” Aaron looked at Robert’s tense jaw and the way his arms were crossed over his chest; he still looked like he was angry, tensed for a fight. He still wasn’t that used to anyone arguing with him, but Aaron never backed down from a fight.   

“I get that,” Robert admitted. “But you can’t control everything. And don’t you think that’s exactly how I’ll feel when you go back to work? You’re eventually going to go back to being a bodyguard for someone else and every day I’ll have to worry that you’re going to get hurt. But I just have to accept that, don’t I? That’s part of your job and I’m not allowed to interfere with that. I can’t tell you not to go to work and risk your life, but you’re allowed to tell me what to do.”

“It’s completely different,” Aaron argued. “My job obviously comes with risks, but I try to avoid danger wherever possible. You’re _purposefully_ putting yourself into dangerous situations if you go out of your way to shake Adam off and mix with random strangers like that.”

“Fans. They were fans. They’re hardly likely to hurt me, are they?” Robert replied.

“You don’t know that. You don’t really know who was in that crowd. And as we know, people do crazy things when they’re obsessed with someone.”

Robert scowled at him. He didn’t like to talk about Connor and what had happened on the night of the Oscars. He’d been to see a counsellor about the traumatic event, only after Finn, Vic and Aaron had practically bullied him into it, but he didn’t like to talk about; he didn’t even like to _think_ about it. So Aaron bringing it up and using it as part of this stupid argument was a low blow.

“I don’t want to have this fight every time I go out and want to speak to someone. I don’t want you throwing it in my face that my ex was a psycho.”

“God, Robert,” Aaron sighed in exasperation. “You are so bloody stubborn sometimes. It’s not about that. All I want is for you to be safe. What was the point in hiring Adam if you’re going to ignore everything he tries to do to keep you out of harm’s way? If you’d told him you wanted to speak to those fans, he probably would’ve said it was alright anyway. Stop making everything into a battle and being so difficult.”

“Charming,” Robert huffed. “Well, if that’s what you think of me.” He turned as if to leave the room.

“See! You’re doing it right now. You won’t just accept that you’re wrong,” Aaron shouted. “You won’t accept that I’m only saying all of this because I bloody love you!”

When Robert spun around to face him, his mouth was hanging open in shock.

“What?” he asked, the surprise and confusion written all over his face.

Aaron felt himself flush suddenly. This was hardly how he’d imagined he’d declare his love for Robert, but it was too late now.

“I’m in love with you, you idiot,” he replied. “So that’s why I’m not ever going to be okay with the idea of you being in danger. And if you can’t handle that…”

He never got to finish what he had been going to say because Robert had closed the gap between them with a few long strides, cupped his face gently with both of his large hands and pressed his lips against Aaron’s in a searing kiss that made him tingle from head to toe.

Robert licked into his mouth, his tongue rubbing against Aaron’s, leaving Aaron feeling a little weak at the knees and wondering how they’d gone from the heat of an argument to the passion of this moment. He just clung onto Robert’s jacket and allowed himself to give into the kiss.

Eventually, Robert pulled back slightly and pressed his forehead against Aaron’s. It seemed like he’d taken what he needed from their kiss, for now.

“I love you, too, you know,” he whispered. His breath ghosting across Aaron’s lips.

Aaron reached up to run his fingers through Robert’s hair. He really did love him so much.

“Stop fighting me on everything, ‘kay?” he spoke as quietly as Robert had, not wanting to break the sudden calm of the moment.

“I’ll try,” Robert replied. “I’m just not very good at having people wanting to take care of me.”

“Well, you’ll have to start learning, then,” Aaron told him. “Because _I’m_ always going to want to take care of you. I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Robert captured his lips in another soft kiss. He smiled as he pulled back to look at Aaron. “Neither am I.”  


	11. Epilogue 2 - What Are You Afraid Of?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little extra chapter for the Robron bodyguard AU, ‘By Your Side’. This is set after the events of the epilogue when Aaron and Robert have been together as a couple for about a year. I just loved this universe so much I had to come back and play in it again!
> 
> The new chapter was written for the Day 7 prompt, “What are you afraid of?”, “You.” for ‘7 Days of Robron 2018’.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated so please let me know what you thought.

“What are you afraid of?”

The question was running on a loop in Aaron’s head. He didn’t even know why he’d got so hung up on it, but he had.

They’d had another stupid argument: they seemed to do that a lot when they were on edge and stressed out. It was easy to take it out on each other, he supposed.

Robert had been working away on a new movie, his schedule taking him all over the place and far away from Aaron. Aaron had been with a new client for a few months and as a result they’d had less and less time to spend together. Fortunately, Aaron’s new job only required him to be on duty during the day if his client was out and about, which meant he’d been able to come home to Robert every night, but then Robert had gone away for work and suddenly their time together was becoming overshadowed by days apart.

It was typical that the rare, precious time they’d got to spend together had been ruined by them having a row.

Robert was tired, Aaron was grumpy, and between them they’d managed to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Robert’s usual blasé attitude towards his safety was a constant issue for Aaron who couldn’t seem to get through to Robert that he mattered and he needed to listen to advice about his security from Adam (who rang or text Aaron nearly every day to rant about what an idiot his boyfriend was and how he hated him for letting him take the job of being his bodyguard).

And Robert was tired. His schedule was full of long days filming and travelling, and the flight home had been long and tedious, so he hadn’t been in the best of moods from the moment he’d walked through the door.

Then there had been the speculation on the gossip sites about how Robert had started an affair with his co-star which Aaron had tried his best to ignore but had struggled to not let it get under his skin.

And Aaron didn’t like his new client so was having to bite his tongue each day when he went to work otherwise he might just tell the pompous arse where to shove his job.

So everything was weird and they were both tired and fed-up, so of course they’d ended up arguing.

“So you think I’m cheating on you,” Robert had yelled at him after everything had come to a head between them.

Aaron had thrown his hands up in the air. “I never said that,” he’d shouted back.

“But the thought has crossed your mind,” Robert had snapped. “You don’t trust me,” he’d said as he shook his head angrily.

“Of course I trust you,” Aaron had replied.

“Then what are you afraid of?” Robert had asked angrily.

Aaron had paused and stared at Robert for a long moment. He’d felt the anger drain from him but he couldn’t answer the question. Instead he’d turned and walked out of the kitchen and into the garden. He’d needed some space.

He sat with his trousers rolled up, his legs dangling down into the water in Robert’s swimming pool. He was thinking. He kept hearing the question in his head.

Robert had asked him the same thing, all those months ago just before they’d slept together for the first time and made a complete mess of everything. He’d never actually answered the question that night. He’d never told Robert what he was afraid of but he knew the answer. And it was still the same now.

He was afraid of Robert.

Aaron was afraid of how much he loved Robert and how much it would hurt to ever lose him. He’d never felt like this about anyone before, and that alone scared him: sometimes he just didn’t know what to do with it.

He’d come close to losing Robert once before: as he looked down at his legs in the water, the long, still slightly pink scar on his calf was a reminder (if he ever needed one) of the night when he’d nearly lost Robert. And he hated the mere thought of it.

He knew Robert’s security wasn’t his responsibility anymore, and he trusted Adam completely, but he still worried that one day something would happen and Robert would get hurt. That was why it drove him so crazy that Robert didn’t seem to take his safety seriously.

And having Robert so far away and then stupid gossip and rumours about him being with someone else just terrified him. Because why wouldn’t Robert want someone else? He worked with beautiful people every day and how could Aaron ever compete with that? It scared him that Robert would just slip away from him without him even realising until it was too late.

Footsteps approached the pool but Aaron didn’t look up when Robert lowered himself down next to him. He let his own feet hang down into the pool and he breathed out a long sigh.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

It was enough of a surprise to make Aaron look up at him. Robert was stubborn and proud and he didn’t find apologising easy, neither of them did.

Robert’s mouth quirked up at one corner and he shrugged slightly. “I shouldn’t have been so grumpy when I got home. Honestly, the only thing that’s kept me going these last few days was knowing I was going to be coming home to see you and then I ruined it by being an arse when I got here.”

Aaron’s heart swelled in his chest. “What’s wrong?”

Robert sighed again. “I just…I miss you. I know that’s dead soppy and you probably think I’m being stupid…”

He didn’t have chance to finish whatever he was saying because Aaron leant over and kissed him on the lips. “I missed you too,” he whispered when he pulled away.

Robert smiled softly at him, but then it faltered a little. “Do you trust me? Really?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. Rob, of course I do,” Aaron repeated his earlier words.

Robert frowned slightly before he continued. “Then, please, Aaron, tell me the truth. What are you afraid of?”

Aaron looked down at the ripples of water in the pool, caused by their gently swaying legs. He drew in a deep breath and looked back up into Robert’s eyes.

“You,” he said simply.

Robert looked shocked by the answer, but not angry.

Aaron reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly between his own. “I don’t want you to think it’s a bad thing. It’s just…I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I love you so much and sometimes…well, that’s scary.”

Robert seemed to consider what he’d said for a few long moments. “I know what you mean and I understand. I love you, too,” he said, “so much. I get it because loving someone can be scary. And…I’ve never felt like this before either, you know.”

“Really?” Aaron asked him because he genuinely didn’t know.

Robert shook his head. “You’re it for me, you know.”

Aaron huffed out a little relieved laugh. Then he dragged Robert closer with a hand around the back of his head and kissed him again. Hearing Robert’s words had helped to ease some of the worries he had. He couldn’t control the future and he couldn’t always guarantee that Robert would be safe and he couldn’t stop other people wanting to be with Robert, but for now (and hopefully for the rest of his life) he was the one who loved Robert, and was loved by him, and that was enough to fight off some of the fear.  

“D’you know what I used to do when I was scared when I was little?” Robert asked him when they finally parted.

Aaron arched an eyebrow at him questioningly.

“I used to hide under the covers in my bed,” Robert told him. He was obviously desperately trying to keep a straight face.

“And would you recommend that we did that now?” Aaron asked him in mock seriousness, obviously understanding what Robert was suggesting.

“I think it would _really_ help,” Robert replied and he gave Aaron his best pleading expression.

Aaron laughed again and pushed himself up to stand. He held out his hand to Robert and helped him up. “Come on then,” he said. “Let’s go and be afraid together.”   


End file.
